Stray Child
by junodog
Summary: Crossover w LotR: While passing through the Trollshaws area, Aragorn stumbles upon a child, separated from his family and wounded by orcs. However, there's a strange secret behind this boy's existence, and there's more to him than meets the eye. spoilers
1. Chapter 1

Okay, guys, since I rarely update anything here and I feel bad about doing that and this is the story I've been working on the most lately but I haven't been posting it here (don't ask why, I'll answer you with gibberish) I'm just going to go ahead and post it here. Enjoy. Oh, and there will be spoilers for all of the manga, and LotR spoilers as well. And as usual, this is based on the MANGA.

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A scream.

That was what awoke Aragorn from his sleep, a scream that most people never wish to hear. The horrified scream of a child who feared for its life.

He knew that there were orcs in the area, but he hadn't expected them to move so boldly. The child couldn't have been alone, so had its parents been killed while it slept? If so, then why hadn't he heard anything before this?

Perhaps they had come upon the child by chance. Perhaps it had wandered away from its parents and been found by less pleasant creatures. Either way, Aragorn wasn't about to let an innocent life be taken.

With practiced ease, he retrieved his weapons and sprinted through the woods to where he'd heard the voice. He came upon a steep slope, just below which was where the orcs had cornered a small fair-haired boy. The boy was covering his head with his arms, pushing up against the earth as if he believed he could meld with it and be safe. Already, Aragorn could see blood on the boy's clothing.

Taking out the orcs was no problem. There were only four of them, and they were weakened by the rising sun. Once he was sure it was safe, Aragorn approached the boy, who was now whimpering in both pain and fear.

His clothes were unusual, a black shirt with long sleeves underneath a short-sleeved shirt that had been light blue at one point in time, the blood soaking through turning it a dark purplish red. The boy's pants were grey, spattered with red as well, and the boy's feet were bare. Judging from the quality of the clothes, Aragorn guessed that he simply hadn't been wearing his shoes.

As he took all this in, Aragorn gently placed a hand on the boy's back. The boy panicked and tried to run, but he collapsed before he could even get to his feet. He was weakened by his injuries.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Aragorn said gently as he pulled the boy to his feet. "Where are you injured?"

The boy finally looked at Aragorn, his eyes full of fear. Aragorn was intrigued by the golden color. "T-they hit my shoulder pretty bad…"

"Your shoulder? Will you let me see it?"

The boy nodded and held as still as he could while Aragorn gently removed his shirt. The wound didn't seem very deep, but it was still bleeding, and Aragorn quickly scanned the area as he applied pressure to the wound.

"It's not too bad. Did they do anything else?"

The boy shook his head. "Uh-uh. That's it."

"Where are your parents?"

The boy's eyes filled with sorrow. "I don't have parents."

"Were they killed by the orcs?"

There was a flash of confusion in the boy's eyes before he shook his head. "No. My mom died because she was sick, and I don't know where my dad is."

Once the bleeding had stopped, Aragorn brought the boy back to his camp and treated the wound more efficiently. The boy was quiet through all of this, his eyes downcast.

"My head feels funny," the boy whispered after a while.

"How so?" Aragorn Asked.

"I forget the word for it right now, but it's like when you spin around really fast for a while and then you stop."

"You're dizzy?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, I was sick for a while, but not like this." The boy swallowed and looked back up at Aragorn. "Um, thank you for saving me…"

Aragorn heard the sounds of another group of orcs in the distance and began packing up his horse. "No child should have to suffer that fate. Can you walk?"

The boy looked from Aragorn to the horse before looking back at Aragorn. "I've never been on a horse before."

"That's not what I asked," Aragorn said, amused by the nervous look on the boy's face.

"I think I can walk fine," the boy said, and he awkwardly stood up as Aragorn finished packing. Luckily, while the boy was very unsteady on his feet, he made it to the horse, and Aragorn lifted him onto the animal with practiced ease.

"Don't worry, I won't go too fast," Aragorn said as he pulled himself up. "But we can't stay here. It's not safe."

The boy clutched his injured shoulder as the horse made its way through the woods, going quickly but smoothly. "Are there more of those things?"

"Yes, there are. That's why we're leaving."

"But what if they try to hurt someone else?"

An injured child whose primary concern was not himself. Aragorn felt he had made a very strange discovery in the forest. "I'll do what I can to make sure that doesn't happen."

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The child was quiet for the rest of the journey, a silence that came with the familiar feeling of exhaustion. He would have fallen off the horse if Aragorn hadn't wrapped one arm around the small body. It was understandable, however. After all, the boy probably hadn't reached the age of six.

As they neared their destination, the boy stirred. It was still quiet for another minute before he spoke.

"What's your name?" he asked in a sleepy voice.

"Strider. What about yours?"

"Edward." Edward sat up a bit and looked around. "How much farther are we going?"

"Look straight ahead."

Using Aragorn's arm to help him balance, Edward leaned to the side so that he could see around the horse's head. "Whoa… Is that where we're going?"

"It is."

"Do you know someone there?"

Aragorn waited a moment before replying. "I spent much of my childhood there."

Edward seemed to be fading again, and Aragorn pulled him back into a more stable position. "It's different from home…"

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While he struggled not to fall asleep again, Ed heard a voice. He opened one eye to see someone approaching on a different horse. He didn't recognize the person. They were probably from that place down below…

He closed his eye again when he realized the person was speaking a different language, afraid that he might get in trouble for being here. Strider had seemed kinda weird on their way over, and Ed found himself wondering if he'd done something wrong. He hadn't meant to be attacked by those things… no, Orcs, that's what Strider had called them…

He opened his eyes a little bit to see what was going on now. The person who had been talking with Strider looked down at him once, and with the way he looked, Ed got the feeling he wasn't mad at him at all. That was a relief… The person said something else before muttering something to his horse and riding away.

Ed closed his eyes again. He wasn't gonna fall asleep, but it felt good to rest his eyes for a little bit…

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Just so you guys know, this story is going to be very, very long. It's already 83 pages in Word and it's not even close to being halfway finished. It's also going very slowly in terms of writing, so don't expect frequent updates (though I'll try to make them more frequent if people like it). I _will_ try to update it more than I have updated other stories, though…


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter yay! I was seriously amazed that I got so many reviews for the first chapter, and two thirds of them were within the first day! I love you guys so much. :3 Oh, and just as a side-note, Edward is five in this first part, and it's right after Trisha died (mangaverse). He _will_ age within the story, but I'll tell you when it happens.

And something you should keep in mind while reading this: I often forget to grab a tortilla when I make myself a taco at the taco bar. Then I have to go back and grab one before I can make myself a taco. It is very frustrating at times.

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"I see you've brought someone with you," Elrond remarked as he approached the horse. "Who is he?"

Aragorn kept a hand on the boy's back to prevent him from falling as he dismounted. Once he was on the ground, he gently pulled the child off the horse. "A stray child," he answered simply. "He was alone in the woods."

"Or rather, he was in the company of orcs," the elf supplied.

Aragorn nodded.

"What are you planning on doing with him?"

"He must have some family left. I'll bring him home."

The boy let out a quiet moan and shifted in Aragorn's arms, his eyes opening for a moment before closing again. Elrond was slightly surprised by the golden hue. "An unusual eye color for a man," he noted, leading Aragorn to a small bedroom. "You don't know where to look for his home, is that correct?"

"That's right," Aragorn said as he set the child down on the bed.

"What's his name?"

"Edward."

Edward stirred slightly at the sound of his name, but slept on, his small chest rising and falling slightly. The blood on his shirt seemed to accentuate his pale face. Elrond placed a hand on the child's forehead. The skin was burning, which didn't come as a surprise to the elf. When he looked at the boy's face again, Elrond saw the features of a man he had met a very long time ago. That had to be the explanation.

"There was a country, not in this world, but in one that is connected to here. That country no longer exists, but it was speculated that there were descendants that fled from the destruction and formed a new life for themselves in one of the neighboring countries. This boy has to be descended from one of them."

"Destruction? What happened to this country?"

"It is said that it fell when the emperor made an attempt to become immortal. That country was very advanced in the ways of alchemy, a science whose roots lie in equivalent exchange. In short, the cost of immortality for this man was too high, and the country of Xerxes was demolished in a single night. However, these are only the rumors. There may be truth behind them, there may not be." Elrond paused for a moment, taking the time to gently pull off the boy's layered shirts. "A few years before Xerxes was destroyed, I happened to visit a young man by the name of Hohenheim. I had no way of knowing whether he survived the destruction of his country, but looking at this boy, it seems there may be a chance that he did."

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Ed kept hearing voices, but he couldn't understand what they said. He figured it was because they were talking in that language he'd heard earlier, but why were they talking so quietly? It's not like he could understand what they said anyway…

After a while, he mustered up the energy to open his eyes. There were two people standing over him, Strider and some other guy he vaguely remembered seeing for a moment earlier. The other guy looked very serious, and all of a sudden he just turned and walked out of the room. Ed was worried, but he didn't know why.

"What's going on?" Ed asked weakly, not really liking the sound of his voice. He kinda wanted to go back to sleep, but he needed to know things…

"We're in Rivendell now," Strider answered. "We'll stay here until you can travel."

"Huh? Where are we going?"

Strider smiled. Ed got the feeling he was trying not to laugh at him. "You want to go home, don't you?"

"Oh…" Ed blinked a few times before realizing something else. "Are we in Amestris?"

"Amestris?"

Ed nodded. "Yeah, it's the name of my country…"

Strider sat down on the bed and checked the bandage on Ed's shoulder. "No, we aren't."

Ed let out a disappointed sigh. He didn't want to be stuck so far away from home right now. He just wanted to see his brother…

"How did you come to be in the woods?" Strider asked.

Ed thought about it for a while before shaking his head. "I don't remember."

"No?"

Ed shook his head again. "I remember being at home, and then…" All of a sudden, the realization struck him, and he sat up in a flash, wincing from the pain that erupted in his shoulder. "Al!"

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The child seemed to be in a panic, and as soon as he had sat up he looked up at Aragorn with pleading eyes. "They didn't hurt him, did they?"

"Who are you talking about?" Aragorn asked in a calm voice. Just from the way Edward was acting, Al was someone very important to him. And of course, he hadn't seen anyone else when he'd found Edward, but he had been more focused on getting the boy to safety.

"My little brother, Alphonse," Ed answered. "He was with me before…"

"I didn't see anyone else when I found you," Aragorn replied, once again keeping his voice calm. The last thing Edward needed was to be in a panic.

Thankfully, his words seemed to have some affect on the boy, since the desire to sprint out of the room left Edward's golden eyes. "Really?"

"If he had been with you, I would have seen him."

"But then… what if he was somewhere else?"

"That could be, but if he's anywhere in that area, he will be found."

The worry in Edward's eyes increased again, and with it came sorrow. "It might be too late, though…"

"Edward."

The boy looked up once again, unshed tears beginning to appear in his eyes. He was afraid, that much was obvious. Aragorn just hoped that the boy would understand his logic.

"If your brother had been in your place, would he have screamed like you did?"

Edward blushed a bit at this. Evidently he was embarrassed about that. "Yeah, probably."

"Even if he was farther away, I would have heard it. It's doubtful that your brother has come to any harm."

"Are you sure?"

Aragorn smiled reassuringly at Edward. "Yes."

That seemed to appease the boy, and after a moment's silence, he looked down at his right shoulder. "It doesn't hurt as bad as I thought it would."

"It was a clean cut," Aragorn said. "It should heal nicely."

"Oh, okay."

Aragorn smiled at Edward and gently pushed him back down onto the bed. "It will heal more quickly if you rest."

"I'm not sleepy," Edward sleepily replied, but he allowed Aragorn to pull the blanket over his exhausted body. Within a minute, the child was asleep once again.

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Edward's fever seemed to have receded a bit the next time Aragorn checked. It had been about an hour since the boy had fallen asleep, and Aragorn was now certain that he would recover quickly.

He looked up when he heard Elrond's footsteps. The elf sat in one of the chairs positioned next to the bed and looked at Edward. "Did you find out where he comes from?"

"The country of Amestris," Aragorn replied.

"Ah, yes. The country to the west of what was once Xerxes. Every time I've been there, the country has been at war." Elrond looked over at Aragorn. "What about his family?"

"He hasn't lived with his parents for a while. His mother was ill, and his father must have left. The only other family he mentioned was a younger brother."

"Surely someone must be taking care of them?"

"He didn't say. I'll ask him once he's awake." Aragorn looked at the boy again, contemplating the discussion they'd had. "He's afraid for his brother."

"Naturally. You didn't see anyone else?"

"No. He was alone."

"Well, if his brother _is_ there, he will be found. Or perhaps he's safe at home. At any rate, we can't return him to his home until he's healed. I'll watch over him now."

Aragorn nodded and took his leave from the room.

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Night passed, and Edward continued to sleep. He awoke soon after dawn, his golden eyes conveying his exhaustion as he observed his surroundings for the first time. Elrond watched and waited patiently for the boy to see him. Soon, those golden orbs turned in his direction, and Edward blinked once before asking, "Where's Strider?"

"He needed his own share of rest, little one. He's sleeping in the next room."

Edward scowled. "I'm not little. Mom said I'm gonna look like dad and dad was real tall so that means I'm gonna be tall like him."

Elrond laughed good-naturedly at the boy's outburst. "Of course you will be." He leaned forward then, looking Edward in the eyes as the boy sat up. "Who looks after you now?"

"The Rockbells," Edward answered. "Their house is really close to ours, so even before Mom died we saw them a lot." He spoke clearly, but Elrond could tell that the boy was still in mourning.

"How long has it been?" he asked gently.

"A couple months," Edward answered. "Dad left a while before that."

"Why did he leave?"

"I don't know. He just walked out the door one morning and never came back. I think Mom knew, but she never told us."

"Can you tell me their names?"

Edward nodded. "My mom's name was Trisha Elric. We got her last name because my parents never got married or anything. My dad's name is Von Hohenheim."

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I like Elrond, but I hate doing his POV. Don't ask me why. I just hate it.

Interesting tidbit: The title comes from the song A Stray Child by Emily Bindiger. It's on the .hack/SIGN soundtrack, which I adore.


	3. Chapter 3

Big flashback scene to start off this chapter. Which also means big spoilers, which I've already mentioned, but nothing wrong with a friendly reminder. Also, there's a _teensy_ bit of plothole monster usage in this fic, mostly in the area of how the two worlds (FMA and LotR) interact. It's minimal, though, and I tried to make it make as much sense as possible.

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"_This here," the bald alchemist continued, gesturing to a flask with a dark mist floating inside. "Is what I was telling you about, Lord Elrond. This is the homunculus."_

_The dark mass developed an eye and a grin. "Oh? A visitor? How rare."_

_Elrond spoke for a moment with the being before he and the alchemist left and walked through the halls. "Quite the accomplishment," he said._

"_A mere accident," the alchemist admitted wryly. "The base is the blood of one of my assistants."_

"_I would like to meet him."_

"_Of course. He should be finished with his studies for the day." They stopped at a door and the alchemist knocked on it. "Hohenheim! Come out here!"_

_A brief moment passed before the door opened, revealing a clean-shaven young man, his long golden hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was clad in the traditional Xerxian wear, a light length of cloth lying on his right shoulder and crossing over to his left hip. He wore a plain white tunic underneath, and a much thinner length of cloth crossed over his left shoulder, leaving his left arm bare. His pants were also of a light cloth, and he wore simple sandals on his feet. "What is it, master?"_

"_Someone wishes to speak with you. Why don't you give him a tour? I have more work to do."_

"_Yeah, sure," Hohenheim replied. His master took his leave and marched down the hall, leaving Elrond alone with the young man._

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"_So you are the one who was used in the creation of the homunculus," Elrond said as they walked through the building._

_Hohenheim laughed and scratched his head. "Yeah. That was a while ago, back before I became an assistant."_

"_What were you then?"_

_They passed by a window, and Hohenheim gestured down to the courtyard beneath them. "I used to be one of them," he said. "I still speak with them a lot; most of them are good friends."_

"_How did you come to understand alchemy if you were a slave?" Elrond asked._

"_Actually, the homunculus taught me," Hohenheim admitted. "He said he was grateful for giving him life, so he gave me knowledge and a name."_

"_He is knowledgeable in many areas, it would seem," Elrond remarked._

"_He is. I've heard that he's even sharing the way to immortality with the Emperor."_

_Elrond paused at this. A high price was paid whenever a mortal attempted to become immortal, and oftentimes it was unsuccessful. However, that homunculus gave Elrond an unsettling feeling. It most likely knew something, but if this way would come about through alchemy, then a price would be paid. Nothing good would come of this plan, he felt._

"_Is something wrong?" Hohenheim asked._

"_Nothing," Elrond replied. No, he would not share his suspicions with this young assistant. It was his word against the homunculus's, after all, and while the people of Xerxes had treated him with kindness, any attempt to argue with them would be seen as an attempt to overthrow the emperor. No, even he could not do anything. Besides, nothing he'd heard about the emperor had been negative. Perhaps whatever sacrifice was made would ultimately benefit the people of Xerxes._

"_Are you good friends with the homunculus?" Elrond asked as they continued on their way._

"_You could say that. It's thanks to him that I can live this well, after all."_

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Years after this visit, Elrond had returned to Xerxes to find it in ruins. Bodies littered the streets, and while many had been respectfully disposed of, the rest showed that whatever had happened had affected the entire country. None of the bodies were marked in any way. He had left the place in horror. He had expected a sacrifice, but this was beyond his beliefs. And, when he had seen the dead body of the emperor in the capital city, he knew that the homunculus was responsible.

Now, he saw this boy in front of him, this innocent child whose eyes shone in the same manner that Hohenheim's had, and he came one step closer to the truth. What if Hohenheim had been the recipient of immortality instead? After all, immortality was a fair gift to give someone whose blood gave one life. However, he couldn't have known until the incident occurred. Had he known, he would never have gone through with it; Elrond was sure of that.

"Is your father an alchemist?" Elrond asked next.

Edward nodded. "He was always studying when he was home. We learned it from all the books he had."

"You can use alchemy?" No, the boy was much too young to know the ways of his father. He was barely old enough to read.

Edward nodded again. "A little bit." A sad smile crept across his features. "Mom was really happy when she found out."

"I should like to see it sometime."

Edward looked up, excitement shining in his eyes. "Really?"

Elrond smiled. The boy was as eager as his father had been about alchemy. "Yes. But first, we must get you fed."

"Okay."

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Once Edward had put on some new clothes and eaten, he was given instructions to stay in his room and rest. Aragorn stayed with him to ease the child's boredom, but not before he spoke with Elrond.

"It seems this child is more unusual than I had thought," the Elf said. "I doubt he knows the truth himself, and perhaps it would be best to keep it that way."

"What did you discover?" Aragorn asked.

"Unless I'm very much mistaken, this child is the son of Hohenheim, the same Hohenheim I met in Xerxes long ago."

"But how can this be?"

"I am not sure, but it has to do with the fall of Xerxes. It's possible he gained immortality instead of the Emperor." Elrond looked outside. The mid-morning sun passed behind a cloud, casting the valley in momentary shadow. "I'm afraid he was tricked. A shadowy being fooled him as well as the emperor, but this being favored Hohenheim, and so he must have given him immortality instead. However, his child retains the features of a mortal, albeit an unusual one."

Aragorn nodded in understanding. He understood what this meant. This Hohenheim would be forced to watch his loved ones age and perish. Perhaps this is why he had left? He thought about it for a while as he sat with Edward, but the boy's antics proved to be wonderfully distracting.

They spoke for hours about many things. Edward was very curious when it came to the Elves; Elrond had mentioned that only Men lived in Edward's world. He learned quickly, it seemed, and he took in everything Aragorn said.

It wasn't until Edward's stomach made a very loud complaint that Aragorn realized how long they had spoken. After they ate, Edward began to nod off as they spoke, and soon enough, he was sound asleep, his head having somehow maneuvered itself onto Aragorn's leg. Aragorn watched the sleeping child for a moment before gently freeing his limb and laying the boy down on the bed. He then returned to his own room and began sharpening his sword, occasionally flexing the muscles in his leg to try and regain feeling.

Edward's mother must have had enough patience to easily match an Elf's.

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Before I forget, much credit for this story goes to Beregond5 over on lotrfanfiction. She's been extremely helpful in making this story not be crap, and prevented many an instance of OOCness. Also, read her crossover FMA/LotR fic. It's sheer brilliance, and I'm her beta (these two facts are actually what led to the creation of my fic, actually…)

lotrfanfiction dot com slash viewstory dot php question mark sid equal sign 9395

Also: I got my hair cut this weekend. It's chin length, which I haven't done in years. I've never had it shorter than shoulder length or so, but I now appreciate how much I love short hair now. Except when I have to go outside and it's snowing. That hasn't been much fun this weekend. And is anyone else slightly scared by movie!Elrond? He always seems so angry...


	4. Chapter 4

Ahahahahahahaha update.

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It was much later when Aragorn went to check on Edward before going to sleep. He entered the room quietly and approached the bed in the same manner, not wishing to interrupt the boy's sleep. Edward was lying on his stomach, his left hand resting on the bed in front of his face. He would have looked very peaceful, had his eyes been closed and devoid of tears.

Aragorn sat on the bed next to him and gently pushed the golden hair away from Edward's face while muttering, "Man raeg, erneth?"

Edward sniffled once more before wiping away his tears and looking up into Aragorn's eyes. "What's that mean?"

"Why were you crying?"

Edward rested his head on the pillow again. "I'm scared."

"What are you so afraid of?"

"What if Al thinks I'm dead? He could be all alone right now and I can't do anything for him."

"He would only feel this way until you return, and considering how quickly you're recovering, it will be very soon," Aragorn answered reassuringly.

"Well, yeah, but… what if you hadn't been there? Then Al would really be alone…"

"Don't you have someone taking care of you?"

"Yeah, and they're really nice. They're like a family, but… it's just not the same. Al's the only family I have left, and I'm all he's got." Tears collected in Edward's eyes again. "I don't want him to feel sad."

The boy's worries were not unfounded, Aragorn knew. He had every reason to be concerned about his brother, but even so, it was too much for a child, especially at such a tender age. With a father such as his, it seemed hardship of some sort would be inevitable, but Edward deserved to at least be able to sleep at night.

However, it seemed there was little Aragorn could do to convince Edward that his brother would be all right. Though he was still a child, he seemed almost capable of adult reasoning. Any words Aragorn could say would be wasted on this child. He would have to find something else to comfort him.

It didn't take long for him to think of something that would work, and as he ran his hand through Edward's hair, he began to sing.

_Tinúviel elvanui_

_Elleth alfirin edhelhael_

_O hon ring finnil fuinui _

_A renc gelebrin thiliol..._

The tears ceased to fall, and the golden eyes closed, and soon Edward was sleeping peacefully once again. Aragorn watched him for a moment before quietly leaving the room.

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Ed woke up early the next morning, and he was happy when he didn't feel dizzy and ucky. He heard singing coming from somewhere, but he didn't know what they were saying. Oh well, he didn't understand the people, no, elves, here half the time anyway. As long as he could talk to Strider, though, he figured he'd be okay.

He sat on the bed for a while, looking at the clothes he was wearing now. He was pretty sure they knew he was a boy, so why were they making him wear something that had to be a dress? Except that one guy- Elf, he corrected himself again, Lord Elrond, was wearing funny clothes too, so maybe it was something like that? But then why did Strider wear more normalish clothes? Well, he was a human, so maybe they just didn't have anything else for Ed to wear. Yeah, that made sense.

But he really, really wanted his old clothes back. Even if they had blood in them, he wanted them back. He was _so_ not gonna go back home wearing a dress. Al and Winry would laugh at him.

He poked at the bandages on his shoulder, trying to see if it still hurt, and it definitely did. He decided to stop after a minute, which was a good thing, because that's when Strider walked into the room.

"What are you doing?" he asked, and Ed immediately dropped his hands.

"Nothing." He'd had enough lectures from Uncle and Aunty Rockbell about touching something that was hurt. Why was it always such a big deal?

The room was quiet for a minute. Ed held his breath, wondering if he'd been found out. Finally, Strider knelt in front of him like he'd done when he'd checked Ed's shoulder before. Ed let out a silent sigh of relief. So he hadn't been found out.

He sat as still as he could while Strider pulled off the bandages. It hurt a little, but Ed did his best to ignore it. He didn't want everyone thinking he was a little kid.

A couple minutes later, Strider finished up and Ed unwillingly pulled the funny clothes back on. Then they ate some food and walked around outside, since Ed was feeling good enough to walk now. He was happy to be outside again.

They walked up to a balcony, but Ed's foot got caught in the clothes he was wearing, and he fell to the ground with a startled yelp, but he landed on his left side so his shoulder didn't hurt.

His face burned as he stood up, and he tried to pretend that it didn't happen, but Ed knew Strider had seen. He cursed under his breath as he dusted himself off and walked up to the railing.

"Are you all right?" Strider asked.

"I'm fine," Ed replied without a second thought. He wasn't gonna think about it. He climbed up onto a bench beneath the railing and looked out at the view. It was really pretty, and he could see more Elves walking around. There sure were a lot of them, and he looked up at Strider curiously. "Did you really grow up here?"

"Yes," Strider answered.

"Did you have to wear this too?" Ed asked next, glaring down at the clothes he was wearing.

"Does it bother you?"

"I like my clothes better. Winry would laugh at me if she saw this."

"Who's Winry?"

Ed knelt down on the bench and rested his arms on the rail. "She's my friend. Her parents take care of me and Al now." Ed thought about it for a minute before continuing. "But they might have to go away soon."

"Why is that?"

"Cuz there's a big civil war going on and they need doctors and stuff," Ed replied. "Winry's scared because they might get hurt, but I don't think they will. It's not like they're soldiers or anything."

Ed looked up at Strider again, but he was looking out at the valley now. He looked a little sad. Ed turned his eyes back to the valley too. "Do you know someone who was hurt in a war?"

"In a way, I have. My father was ambushed by Orcs. My mother brought me here so I would stay safe. And though she was always there for me... I could see in her eyes great sadness."

Ed looked down at his arms. "My mom was sad, too."

"Because your father left?"

"Yeah. We just woke up one morning, and he just walked out the door. Mom never said why." Ed rested his head on his arms and looked down. "She'd always cry when we weren't there, and he didn't even come home for her funeral."

It was quiet for a minute before Ed felt a hand ruffling his hair. For once, though, it didn't feel like pity. Not that he got a lot of pity anyway, at least not from the people he saw a lot. The strangers he'd met on occasion always acted like he needed pity, though, and it bugged him. A lot. But Strider was different. Probably because he knew what it was like.

But at the same time, it was different. Ed wouldn't be an orphan forever. He'd get his mom back, and then things would be happy again. He was sure of it.

ilililililililililililililililili

"He's healing quickly," Aragorn commented to Elrond as they stood outside Edward's room. "Faster than I thought he would."

"He is strong-willed, it seems," Elrond replied. "And he is devoted to his younger brother, but there may be more to it than that. He may have inherited it from his father. At any rate, he should be ready to travel by the day after tomorrow."

"He should be happy to hear it. He's become rather restless."

"Any child would be at that age, and he does take after his father. He may yet gain some patience as he grows."

So it seemed both father and son were lacking in patience. Trisha Elric must have had her work cut out for her.

Edward spent the rest of the day with Aragorn, listening in awe to the Ranger's various stories and sharing a few of his own. Some of them were simple, but when he spoke of alchemy, he showed an understanding that was unheard of at his age.

That evening, Edward used alchemy for the first time in Rivendell. He began by sketching out a circle on the ground with a piece of chalk he'd been keeping in what he called his 'normal' clothes. The precision with which he drew the various shapes was the first surprise of many that day; Edward had a talent for keeping his lines straight and his circles smooth. It seemed to Aragorn as well that the boy didn't even have to think about what he was doing; it was simply a part of him, something he was born with.

"There, it's done," Edward said after a while, a satisfied smile on his face. He knelt down next to the circle and placed his hands on it. Light sprouted from the circle, arcing up like lightning, but this didn't startle the child at all. In the center of the circle, the ground began to move and shape itself. A moment later, the light died down, and in the center of the circle stood a sculpture of a dog.

The end result was small, to be sure, but so was the one who had created it. Edward looked up at the two watching him, his expression showing that he was waiting for a reaction.

"Impressive," Elrond said after a moment. Aragorn nodded in agreement. The boy was certainly gifted. Edward smiled broadly at the praise, his golden eyes shining. It was a strange contrast; the gifted alchemist within the curious child.

"Who taught you?" Elrond asked next.

Ed shrugged. "Nobody. Me and Al just learned it from books."

Aragorn exchanged glances with Elrond. To be able to read at that age was not a surprise; it was the fact that Edward could understand everything he read and was able to use it in such a manner that made the boy so unusual. And if his brother, who was a year younger, had the same abilities, it seemed the sons of Hohenheim would likely surpass their father.

ilililililililililililililili

And now for a section titled: What I almost ended up writing out of sheer frustration. Half of these came from Beregond5 (on lotrfanfiction), just so you know.

"The fish aren't coming for you. Sleep, little one." (this one I would have translated but I didn't feel like it)

Aragorn sat on the bed next to him and gently pushed the golden hair away from Edward's face while muttering, "Man raeg, erneth?"

Edward sniffled once more before wiping at his eyes and looking up into Aragorn's eyes. "Translation plz?"

"What's stuck in your ass, little one?"

ilililililililililililililili

"Nothing." He'd had enough lectures from Uncle and Aunty Rockbell about touching something that was hurt. Why was it always such a big deal?

"You lie," Aragorn hissed, and Ed screamed and ran far, far away. Why was everyone being so OOC all of a sudden? And who was Aragorn?

Beregond5: Although I would wonder: "Why's Aragorn so Legolas all of a sudden?"

ilililililililililililililili

"Do you know someone who was hurt in a war?"

"The princess is Dinner."

Ed: wtf?

Aragorn: WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE! bitchslaps

Or

"Do you know someone who was hurt in a war?"

"Yes, and you are soon to be one of them."

Ed: o.O runs

Aragorn: Get back here! -chases-

ilililililililililililililili

My father was abused by Orcs. My mother brought me here so I would stay safe. And though she was always there for me... I could see in her eyes great sadness." (pause to pet Ed's head) "War affects us in many ways, Ed."

Ed: Wow, sounds like he got stuck in a bad foster home…

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"He is strong-willed, it seems," Elrond replied. "And he is devoted to his younger brother, but there may be more to it than that. He may have inherited it from his father."

"Indeed."

"Why, yes."

"Indubitably."

ilililililililililililililili

"Any child would be at that age, and he does take after his father. He may yet gain some patience… no, no he won't. Never mind."

ilililililililililililililili

It seemed to Aragorn as well that the boy didn't even have to think about what he was doing; it was simply a part of him, like sudden mood swings were a part of Junodog.

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Edward smiled broadly at the praise, his eyes reflecting the light from the setting sun and exuding such a beautiful warmth that any fangirls in the area were immediately drawn to his adorable presence.

ilililililililililililililili

Edward smiled broadly at the praise, his golden eyes shining. He was just so damn cute that Aragorn wanted to glomp him.

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"Who taught you?" Elrond asked next.

Ed shrugged. "Nobody. Me and Al just learned it from books."

Aragorn: YOU CAN READ?

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Yes. Ed can read. Well then, time to do... something. I'm not sure what, but probably something involving homework.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, this one's got more of those silly things at the end. Only a couple chapters will have those, though, because I stopped doing them after a while and didn't start up again. And I probably won't start up again. So yeah. We're also getting close to where the real plot comes in, so yay for that.

By the way, can you say hello to Benji the Plothole Monster?

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Within a few days, Edward's fever had broken, and he was ready to return to his home. When Aragorn told him this news and handed him his normal clothes, the boy was positively ecstatic, and he changed into them more swiftly than Aragorn would have thought possible. The blood stains were barely visible now, but Edward didn't care. He didn't seem to care that he didn't have shoes, either.

Once they were ready, Aragorn lifted Edward onto his horse before turning to speak with Elrond about the way back. Edward watched curiously from a distance, having become familiar with the Elvish language but still unable to comprehend what was being said.

"Go to where you found him. The portal between worlds can only be opened by a select few. The fact that Edward found his way here proves that he is capable of opening it, and I have no doubts that you will be able to pass through as well. Look for two trees that form an archway. You'll know if it's the right place if you look between the trees and what you see is different from what is there."

Aragorn nodded in understanding before turning back to his horse. Edward's patience would likely run out soon, and it was about time for them to be on their way. He said his farewells to Elrond before mounting the horse behind Edward. The boy glanced up at him before turning to Elrond.

"Um, thank you for helping me," he said in a quiet voice.

Elrond smiled kindly at the boy. "I met your father once," he replied. "I am glad for the chance to meet his kin."

Edward gave a small nod before turning to stare at the horse's head. Aragorn took this as the signal to leave, and soon they were on their way out of Rivendell.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Edward was silent as they continued on their journey. He was staring down at his hands, not even bothering to observe their surroundings. It seemed there was some matter weighing heavily on the boy's mind, but Aragorn wasn't sure what.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked after a while.

Edward shook his head briefly before going back to his previous position. It seemed Aragorn would have to find out on his own. It was strange, Edward had been cheerful up until the moment they left, right until Elrond had mentioned his father.

"It's about your father, isn't it?" he asked after another moment or so.

A small nod. "I don't like him very much."

"Because he left?"

Edward nodded once again. "He never played with us or anything when he was home, either. All he did was study. Mom had to do everything by herself."

Aragorn looked down at the child with sympathy. He realized how hard it was for some to spend time with their children, but there was no way Edward would be able to understand that at his age. He could easily bear a grudge against his father throughout his life.

"Mom said I take after him," Edward continued after a while. "She said I'll probably grow up to be just like him, and I don't want to. I don't wanna be like him."

It was quiet for a while as Aragorn thought about the child's words. Even if he didn't realize it, this boy was carrying the weight of his father's mistakes. Some affected him directly, such as his mother's death, while some went back a few hundred years. In a way, it reminded Aragorn of himself, and of Isildur's Bane.

"You've seen the consequences of his actions," Aragorn finally said. "If you keep that in mind, I doubt you will repeat his mistakes."

Edward seemed content with that answer, and they rode on in peaceful silence until they stopped for lunch.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

This time Edward was much more aware of his surroundings, and he spent the next hour staring out at the landscape as it passed by. He'd ask questions on occasion, the most common one being when they would return to Resembool, Edward's hometown. Aragorn wasn't sure how to answer this question. It wouldn't take long to return to where he'd found Edward, but there was the matter of finding the portal to be considered, and there was a chance that they would have to travel a good distance to find Resembool. If so, Aragorn wasn't sure how long it would take.

They reached the Trollshaws late that day, and soon they reached the place where Aragorn had found Edward curled up against the stone. Aragorn left Edward sitting on the horse as he approached the clearing. Before Edward had a clear view of the remnants of the attack, however, Aragorn could see that there were no archways here. He would have to check for tracks.

Finding Edward's footprints in the ground was a simple task; Aragorn had yet to meet an orc with such small feet. Once he saw where they led, he returned to the horse and led it around the clearing to the edge of the woods. All of his senses were on alert, but for the moment, it seemed they were safe. Still, Aragorn did not risk letting Edward off the horse. If they were attacked, they would have to be swift.

"Do you remember nothing before you were attacked?" Aragorn asked.

"No, I remember walking around for a while," Edward answered. "But that's it."

"How far did you go?"

"Well… It was really dark when I woke up, and it didn't get light for a long time."

The sun had barely risen when Aragorn had heard Edward scream. If Edward had been wandering in the dark, he could have made it up to at least half a mile before being caught in the midst of orcs. The sky was darkening. Soon it would be too dark to follow the trail.

He led Edward through the trees, watching the ground carefully for as long as he could before deciding it was time to set up camp for the night. He spotted an overhang nearby and led Edward to it.

"Are we stopping now?" Edward asked, not sounding very pleased.

Aragorn shook his head at the boy. "We have to follow the trail you left, and it's getting too dark to do that."

"Oh." Edward sat quietly as Aragorn set up camp for the night. The overhang provided enough shelter to make a fire unlikely to be seen by unwelcome eyes, which was best, considering the company he was keeping. Once he had gotten a decent fire going, he sat down by his pack and began preparing a simple meal. Edward watched curiously for a while before turning to stare at the forest.

They spent the evening in near silence, only speaking when necessary, and soon Edward was drifting off to sleep. Aragorn made sure he wouldn't aggravate his shoulder in his sleep and watched him for a while. Something told him that this child would soon be walking a desolate road. He hoped that fate would prove kinder.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

They set out early the next morning after a light breakfast. The trail that Edward had left went on for a good while; sometimes turning, sometimes going back on itself, but still coming from the west. After an hour or so, they came to a place where the footprints ended, and two trees intersected several feet above the ground. Aragorn inspected the area more closely, and found it was exactly as Elrond had said. He had found the way to Edward's world.

He led his horse underneath the trees, and much to his relief, the horse had made it through as well. He took a moment to look around. In his eyes, it wasn't much different from the forest he had left, but something about it felt strange. Whatever it was, however, wasn't enough to put him on guard. At least, until an unnatural sound reached his ears.

"A train's coming!" Edward shouted excitedly. "We're back!"

Well, he hadn't quite expected that reaction from Edward. Aragorn turned to face the child. If he wasn't afraid of that noise, then there was likely nothing to fear. "A train?" he asked.

"Yeah, there's a train station in town," Edward replied. "The military stops here all the time to get wool."

From how Edward described it, it seemed that a train was some form of transportation. The noise it made was probably a signal that it was arriving or leaving, much like a horn. Once he was sure of this conclusion, Aragorn went back to examining the ground. He saw more of Edward's tracks coming from the east, and he followed them to the edge of a large valley. Houses could be seen every so often, and a distance to his right, Aragorn saw two parallel metal bars leading away from what he presumed to be the center of town.

"See? Those are the train tracks," Edward explained, pointing at the metal bars. "That's what the train goes on."

Aragorn smiled at the boy before mounting his horse behind him. "Which way do we go from here?"

Edward looked around for a moment, as if deep in thought, before pointing to a place in the distance. "See that big house way over there?"

"I see it."

"That's where the Rockbells live. I think there's a road that goes there from town."

Aragorn led his horse onto the road next to the train tracks, and they made their way toward the town. Once there, Aragorn spotted the road that led to the Rockbell house, and they continued on their way. The road was empty for the moment; the skies were grey and rain threatened to fall more and more with each passing moment.

"It would be best if you didn't speak of what you've seen to anyone," Aragorn said as they came closer to the building. "It has always been secret, and it should be kept that way."

"Even from Al?" Edward asked.

Aragorn considered it for a moment. "How well can he keep a secret?" he asked, although the truth would most likely have been revealed to the younger brother eventually.

"Oh, he's real good at that."

"Tell him, but no others."

Edward nodded. "I won't."

They were nearly in the front yard by now. A sign leaned against the building; it seemed they used a different alphabet in this place, because Aragorn couldn't read it.

"What does that sign say?" he asked Edward as they came to the front yard..

"You can't read it?" Edward asked.

"No. It isn't the same lettering I've grown accustomed to."

"Oh. It says Rockbell Prosthetics."

"Prosthetics?"

Edward nodded. "Yeah, they make arms and legs for people who've lost theirs. There's these really cool ones that are made of metal, too. They can do almost everything a normal arm could."

The strange feeling Aragorn had had since arriving was beginning to make sense as he dismounted. It seemed this world was advanced in its machinery as well as its alchemy. However, he didn't have much time to contemplate the matter, as at that moment, Edward ran forward and pounded on the door. It opened as Aragorn approached the building, and he watched as a young woman stared down at the boy for a moment before wrapping her arms around him, a joyous cry escaping her lips.

"Where have you been?" she asked as she lifted Edward into the air. "You had us scared to death!"

"Um, well…" Edward was silent for a moment, appearing to be deep in thought. "I woke up in the forest, and these things attacked me, and then he saved me, and–" Edward suddenly stopped and looked inside. "Um, where's Al?"

"He's in town with Winry and Granny Pinako. Ed, why were you in the forest?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't know."

"You…" The woman trailed off and looked up at Aragorn. "Well… thank you for bringing him back. Would you like to come inside for a moment?"

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

They sat down in a small dining room, Ed sat down next to Strider and waited for someone to talk. It was really quiet, and he wondered whether he'd be punished for disappearing like that. He still didn't know what had happened.

"Okay, Ed. You seriously don't know how you ended up in the middle of the forest?" Aunty asked.

Ed shook his head. All he remembered was going to bed and then waking up in the forest. He'd been tired, like he'd been walking a lot, but he didn't remember walking…

"You sure?"

Ed nodded again.

Aunty frowned. Ed squirmed in his seat. Was she gonna get mad at Strider now? "Why is there blood on your shirt? Did you cut yourself?" she asked.

"No, these really big scary things attacked me! They were like chimeras or something!"

"Chimeras?" Strider asked.

Ed nodded. "Yeah, they're these things that you make with alchemy. I think it's when you use two animals to make something different."

"I've heard that the military does a lot of experiments with that kind of thing nowadays," Aunty said. "They must have gotten loose and found their way into the forest. But then why were you gone for a week?"

"He wasn't able to tell me where he lived at the time," Strider said. "I brought him someplace safe until he was able to travel. Had I known it was closer to come here, I would have brought him back immediately."

"Okay… but I still don't see how you could have made it out there on your own."

"Maybe he was sleepwalking," said someone at the doorway. Ed looked up to see Uncle Rockbell standing there.

"I don't sleepwalk," Ed growled, but before he could say more, he yawned. He was still kinda sleepy, after all…

"Just a theory, Ed," Uncle Rockbell said before walking over. "Come on, let's go up to your room."

Ed sighed and followed Winry's dad up the stairs to his room. He grabbed an alchemy book and opened it. He'd really missed this…

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

"I guess that would make sense," Sara said as Urey walked off with Edward in tow. "People tend to have troubles sleeping when they're having a hard time."

Aragorn nodded. Perhaps Edward had felt drawn to the portal for some reason, and it seemed that there was more to this meeting than mere chance. However, now that Edward was safe, Aragorn had other tasks to accomplish. He would have to return soon.

Sara seemed to realize this, and she stood with a warm smile. "We really are grateful that you brought him back. Alphonse was worried sick."

Aragorn smiled in return as he stood up as well. "I'm glad to have met him," he said as they walked to the front door.

"You know, you're welcome to visit anytime," Sara said as they stopped in front of a board with numerous pictures on it. Aragorn looked at it for a moment. There were several pictures of Edward and two other children, presumably Winry and Alphonse. One of these contained the two boys in the arms of their parents, and the resemblance between Edward and his father became clear. "I know Ed would be thrilled," she continued with a smile.

"I might," Aragorn replied.

"Ed's upstairs if you want to say goodbye before you leave," Sara said. She was looking at him expectantly, as if she was ready to force him upstairs if need be. Aragorn nearly laughed, and he decided he'd save her the effort.

Edward was currently in a small room with two beds. He lay on the one by the window, his head resting on a book. He looked more content here than he'd been in Rivendell, and Aragorn couldn't help but smile as he reached down and shook Edward gently by the shoulder.

Edward slowly opened his eyes and pulled his face off of his makeshift pillow. "Wha's going on?" he asked blearily as he rubbed his eyes.

"I have to go now," Aragorn replied.

"…Oh. Will you come back ever?"

"I might."

Edward frowned at him for a moment before nodding in satisfaction. "Okay. I'll see you then."

Aragorn smiled and stood. He would certainly meet this boy again. Something told him he would.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

And now for more random things.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Elrond: Oh, you're welcome, I only helped because I know your dad, but hey!

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Elrond: It makes me smile on the inside to see his beautiful child.

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It seemed there was some matter weighing heavily on the boy's mind, but Aragorn wasn't sure what. So, being the brilliant person he is, he decided to ask.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

In a way, it reminded Aragorn of himself, and of Isilduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuur's Bane.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Something told him that this child was headed down a road.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

"wuts a train lol" Aragorn asked

"oh it's something that makes noises and stuff lol"

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Aragorn grabbed Edward and shoved him into Sara's face before promptly running away. Like hell he was gonna stay here.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Sara: where are you from?

Strider: uh

Strider: over there

*points*

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

"dont tell anyone about the random magical portal in the woods, k?"

"wut about al?"

"yeah, sure"

"k lol"

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

"They must have gotten loose and found their way into the forest. But then why were you gone for a week?"

"cuz we were in a different world lol"

"And, like, tripping on sissy clothes."

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

Aragorn smiled in return. "MY PLEASURE, MADAM. IT PLEASES ME TO PLEASE YOU."

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

"I might," Aragorn replied. And with that, he left the Rockbell home, never to return.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

She was looking at him expectantly, as if she was expecting something.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

leekspin dot com


	6. Chapter 6

So hey guys guess what happened to me this past weekend.

ioioioioioioioi

It had been four years since that day. Four years since Ed had been forced to realize that there were some things that just couldn't, or shouldn't, be explained. He'd tried to explain what had happened to Al several times, but his brother was, for once, the skeptical one, and after a while, Ed had given up. Maybe when Strider actually came back he'd be able to prove it, and then he'd have a reason to be smug for a while. He just hoped Strider wouldn't come while they were out training, otherwise they'd probably have to wait for a while.

He continued packing as he thought about it. Al was over in his room, and the two of them only had a couple of hours before their train left. It was hard, trying to decide what to bring with them and what to leave behind. After all, they'd probably be gone for several months.

He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on the door. He dropped the bundle of clothes he was holding and walked downstairs, wondering if his new teacher had decided to leave earlier, but he didn't have to worry. It was someone else at the door.

The first thing that came to mind was Al. This was the perfect chance to prove himself, and so after saying hi to Strider he turned and shouted up the staircase.

"What is it, brother?" Al asked as he came down. "I thought we still had a while before we le-" At the sight of Strider, Al froze. "Who's this?"

"This is Strider, the guy you said didn't exist," Ed said before turning to him. "You actually came back."

"Did you think I wouldn't?" Strider asked with a smile.

Ed looked down at the floor. "Dad didn't," he muttered. If their own father didn't bother to come back to see them, then why would someone he barely knew? But here he was, and now he became even more sure that Hohenheim had forgotten about them. But he supposed now wasn't the best time to talk about him. "Besides, you never actually said you'd come back."

"I wanted to see how you were doing," Strider replied. "As well as your brother."

Ed exchanged glances with his brother before turning back to Strider. "Actually… we're leaving in a few hours. We found someone to teach us alchemy."

"I thought you were more than capable of learning on your own," Strider said.

"Well, yeah, we can do that, but Mrs. Izumi is incredible!" Ed exclaimed.

Al nodded. "Yeah, she made this huge barricade when the river was flooding the other day, and all she did was clap her hands! We can't do anything like that. I thought she was a State Alchemist at first, but she said she hates them."

"Which isn't really surprising," Ed concluded. "Everyone hates the military nowadays. She could definitely qualify for it, though, and it'd definitely be nice to be able to help people with bigger things." Not to mention bringing their mom back… But that wasn't something he could share. Maybe when mom was back and they were living together again, but until then, he and Al would keep it a secret.

"Is that so?" Strider asked. "I hope it goes well for you."

Ed smiled and stuck his hands in his pockets. They'd definitely learn a lot, he'd make sure of that. "So… how'd you know to come here? You didn't come here last time."

"I asked for directions."

"Oh." That was obvious enough… "So you met Winry?"

"I did." There was a momentary silence before Strider spoke again. "She said she was alone for the day. Where is her family?"

"Well, Granny Pinako went to another town to pick up some supplies," Ed replied. "But her parents…" Ed looked away. He didn't want to say it.

"They died," Al continued, almost in a whisper. "In Ishbal. Nobody knows exactly what happened."

It was quiet for another minute before there was a knock at the door. Ed walked past Strider to open it, grateful for the distraction. When he opened it, he found himself looking straight at his teacher.

"You guys ready yet?" she asked as she entered the building. She stopped when she saw Strider. "This a friend of yours?"

"Yeah," Ed replied before introducing the two. A few minutes later, though, Strider said something about letting them pack in peace and left after saying goodbye. Ed watched him ride off on his horse for a while before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You know, you still have a lot to pack," Izumi said. "Need any help?"

Ed shook his head and went back inside. He was still excited about going off for training, but he wished that they could have talked to Strider more. He walked back to his room with a frown.

"So, who was he exactly?" Izumi asked as she helped Al pack.

"He saved my life when I was little," Ed replied. "I guess the military accidentally let some chimeras get loose in the forest nearby, but Strider got them all before they could kill me. Then I spent a few days at this one guy's house before he took me back home."

"Why didn't he just take you home in the first place?" Izumi asked.

"I was sick, and one of them cut my shoulder," Ed said. "I still have a scar from it. Besides, he didn't know where home was for me, and I couldn't exactly give him directions."

"Then how did you get to the forest without any help?" Izumi asked. She sounded confused, and Ed didn't blame her.

"Uncle Rockbell said it was probably sleepwalking," Ed said as he placed his last outfit into the suitcase. He'd definitely be set for a month now. "And the more I think about it, the more I think he was right. All that happened a month or two after mom died, and it was pretty hard for both of us. And then one night, a couple of days after I got back, I woke up and Al was walking out of the house. He was going towards the forest when Aunty finally caught him, and he was asleep too."

"Oh, yeah, I remember you telling me about it the next day," Al said from his side of the room.

"I see. Well, I think that's everything you need, so let's head out now," Izumi said as she stood up. "Maybe you'll see your friend at the train station."

Ed shrugged as he closed his suitcase. No, he probably wouldn't be seeing Strider for a long time.

ioioioioioioioi

The roads around Resembool were busy at this time of day, and Aragorn found himself being greeted by many of the local farmers. Many of them were curious about his presence in their little town in the mountains, and Aragorn soon found that life had become hard for the residents in the past year. The civil war in the east had not only claimed the lives of the Rockbells, but an attack on the train station had proved disastrous to the economy.

After hearing so much about the country he was visiting, Aragorn decided to delay his return to Middle Earth. A young man had mentioned another small village to the north of Resembool, and something about it had piqued his curiosity. He stopped in the forest to change his clothes to something that more or less fit this country's style, and he was soon on his way.

The going was quick; despite the fact that the majority of people preferred taking the trains, the roads in this country were in decent shape, and there was no reason to take to the wilderness.

It was late afternoon on the second day when he saw the first house in the distance. As Aragorn entered the town and dismounted, he casually scanned the square. A few people were out and about, but one man in particular caught his attention; a forlorn figure sitting on the front steps of an inn. His golden hair was pulled neatly away from his face, and Aragorn saw a familiar set of eyes staring at the ground. Those golden eyes looked up when Aragorn's shadow entered his line of sight. They expressed the pain that the man must have been feeling, but when Aragorn called him by his name, they only showed confusion.

"Yes, I'm Von Hohenheim," Hohenheim said. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I know your sons," Aragorn said.

That caught the alchemist's attention, and he stood up. "Edward and Alphonse?"

Aragorn nodded. "We also have another friend in common, although you would not expect it. Until he met your son, he had assumed you had died with the rest of your country."

Hohenheim stared at him for another moment before gesturing to the inn. "This probably isn't the best place to talk about this."

ioioioioioioioi

Three days later, Aragorn crossed the Loudwater River, almost a day before he would have, had he chosen to keep to his usual pace. However, thanks to his extended trip to Amestris, he arrived a day later than he had originally planned. The reason for the delay, though, was worth a week's worth of delays. Upon meeting the last living man from Xerxes, Aragorn had learned of a danger almost as terrible as Sauron himself. Worse, perhaps, in a few ways. For how could one hope to fight against a power whose very existence is secret?

Indeed, the meeting with Hohenheim had been a bitter one. It was difficult to bring tidings of death to begin with, but to one such as Hohenheim… Aragorn had briefly debated whether to keep the news of Trisha's death a secret, but in the end, he'd shared the news. The pain in Hohenheim's eyes had given Aragorn an understanding of an immortal whose mortal lover had perished. What made it especially cruel was the fact that no matter what he did, Hohenheim could not die. It was in that instant that Aragorn understood why Hohenheim had left his family.

He dismounted when he was within sight of Rivendell, and as he brought his horse to the stables, he wondered what would become of the Elric brothers. Whether their father wished it or not, they would likely be dragged into his affairs in the end.

"You've returned," said Elrond, startling Aragorn out of his thoughts. "Did you see him?"

"Yes," Aragorn replied. "As well as his brother. It was good timing, actually. They were just about to leave to study alchemy."

"They found themselves a teacher, then?" Elrond asked. "I am glad. They will need somebody to set them on the right path."

Aragorn pulled a scrap of paper out of his pocket and handed it to the Elf. "I'm afraid they may need more than that."

ioioioioioioioi

Only two funny stuffs this time, guys...

ioioioioioioioi

Izumi: u guyz ready yet... o hay theres some guy in ur house lol

ioioioioioioioi

"o hay ur back"

"yep"

"how's them kids?"

"good lol but i met their dad in some other town"

"o rly?"

ioioioioioioioi

Yeah, that's right, guys, my computer crashed and it's being looked at right now (or so I hope…). Of course, this means I might have lost everything I've written in the past month and a half or so that isn't online somewhere. So yeah, next chapter of one of my other fics may or may not include a nice, long rant about having to rewrite chapters from memory and bits of written stuff sent via IMing another writer. Which also means it could be a while before the next update comes.

Edit: Sorry about all the weirdness with this chapter guys, I'm trying to fix the html weirdness but it's being tricky.


	7. Chapter 7

If you don't get what's going on here then you need to read the manga. Oh man I am so tired right now.

.,.,.,.,,.,.,.,.

"_I still find it hard to believe what happened," Hohenheim said as he sat on the lone bed in the room. Aragorn took a seat in the chair across from him. "And it never occurred to me that the homunculus had ulterior motives for 'assisting' the emperor. None of us realized just how big the cost was for this so-called immortality, and that was our greatest mistake._

"Before it happened, I'd heard of raids in villages near the borders. None of the villagers survived. Of course, back then, I never thought much of it, but after the fact, I finally understood why.

"If you drew a circle on a map of the country, the line would pass through each of those five villages. They were sacrifices for the transmutation, but it seems the emperor had decided it was for the ultimate good of the country. He couldn't have possibly been more wrong.

"When it came down to that final moment, the emperor stood in the center of the circle and offered a few drops of his blood to begin the process. Not long after, it happened…" Hohenheim stopped at this and stared at his hands. Evidently it was too terrifying for him to recall, and Aragorn didn't force him.

"When I returned to my senses and left the room, everybody I came across was dead. They had just fallen wherever they were, and the only other living being was the homunculus. He had taken on an appearance mirroring mine. As it turns out, he had used the people of Xerxes to create a Philosopher's Stone; something that allows the user to use alchemy without the setbacks of equivalent exchange. However, it can only be created by using human souls. Even now, when everything is quiet, I can hear them inside me, begging for death.

"They have no bodies to return to. All they can do is wait to be used." Hohenheim then looked up at Aragorn. "It's been around four hundred years since then, and there is still no end in sight for me."

"I had anticipated something like this," Elrond said. "But you said there was something more?"

Aragorn nodded and continued.

_"It was about fourteen years ago when I met Trisha, and after Edward and Alphonse were born, I realized I wanted to find a way out of this form. It was also around this time that I realized something else; something about this country that scared me." With that, Hohenheim pulled out a nearby paper and pen and began drawing a circle with an indent at the top. "This is the basic shape of this country. Since the beginning, there have been several conflicts that have happened on the borders, which isn't surprising, considering which country we're talking about. But it just so happens that these incidents have occurred in very specific places." Hohenheim took a moment to circle a few points on the makeshift map._

The room was gravely silent for a good minute after Aragorn finished retelling Hohenheim's story.

"This is worse than I feared," Elrond said finally. "For two separate forces to work their evils at the same time is a deadly coincidence. It would be nearly impossible to give aid to one world without neglecting the other."

A few minutes passed by before Aragorn made up his mind. "I will go."

That idea was immediately dismissed. "No. Your place is here. Besides, what assistance could you offer? You know nothing of alchemy."

That's when the realization hit him. "There are some who know more than I could ever hope to learn."

"The sons of Hohenheim? They are children! They should not be dragged into their country's dire affairs."

"They have been already," Aragorn said, and with that he related the events that had befallen the people of Resembool, from the attack on the train station during the war to the deaths of their surrogate parents. "If luck is with us, they will not be involved, but if they are, they must be prepared."

In the end, it was decided to wait until the Elric brothers were older. Besides, they would likely be with their new teacher for a long time. If Aragorn's fears proved true, they would need to know as much about alchemy as they possibly could.

,..,.,,..,.,,.,.

The day they had chosen to inform the Elric brothers of their plans, Aragorn arrived the small two-story home only to find it empty. He stood on the front step for a moment, trying to think of where he could find the brothers. Almost immediately, another young face entered his mind. The girl, Winry Rockbell. Edward himself had stated that it was a rare day that went by without them seeing her. He would have to stop by her house next.

Upon his arrival, Aragorn noticed an armored fellow sitting on the front steps. His gaze was downcast, but as Aragorn approached, he picked up his head. Aragorn was surprised to hear Alphonse's voice come from within. Once again, the brothers had managed to come up with something completely unexpected.

"What brings you here?" Alphonse asked politely.

"I came to speak with you and your brother," Aragorn replied. Part of him wondered whether the boy would take off the helmet or if he would simply stay how he was.

"Oh. Well, he's still… with Winry." The hesitation in Alphonse's voice told Aragorn that something bad had befallen the elder of the brothers, but Aragorn supposed he'd find out about it soon enough, so he didn't press it. "She didn't tell me when they'd be done today, but I think it'll be soon. You could probably go in there if it's important, though."

"I can wait," Aragorn replied.

The front door opened a moment later, and the young fair-haired girl that Aragorn had met briefly once before stepped out. She gave Aragorn a curious look before turning to Alphonse. "We're breaking it off early today, Al."

"Oh, okay," Alphonse replied before looking at Aragorn again. "Winry, you remember Strider, right? He's a friend of brother's…"

"Yeah, I think so. Are you here to see Ed?" she asked.

"Yes."

Winry looked inside for a moment before turning back to Alphonse. "Does he know yet?"

Alphonse shook his head. "No, I didn't really know how to say it."

Winry rolled her eyes and turned back to Aragorn. "Fine. I guess you'll just have to see for yourself."

She quietly led Aragorn through the house to a room in the back. False limbs leaned against the walls in the hallway, and Aragorn had a good idea of what to expect when she opened the door and went in ahead of him.

Aragorn stood in the darkness of the hallway for a moment, waiting for his cue to enter. He could see Edward leaning over, blood dripping from his mouth, but then Winry blocked his view.

"Hey, Ed, someone's here to see you," Winry said before she gestured for Aragorn to come in. He entered the room quietly, watching as Edward took a few shaky breaths and wiped his face with his left arm. His right arm was gone, as was most of his left leg, and at the moment, the boy's pale complexion was almost frightening to see.

Edward looked up after a moment and somehow managed a weak smile. Despite how he looked, and obviously felt, that spark of life had not yet left the boy's eyes. He was dressed in loose white garments, and his hair reached down to his shoulders.

"Hey," he said weakly as he wiped the remnants of blood from his face. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll tell you later," Aragorn answered as Winry walked back up to Ed with a simple leg in her arms.

"Here, let's put this on and then you can get out of here," Winry said as she positioned the limb. A moment later, Edward was standing on mismatched feet, seeming to be a little unsteady, but already looking better than he had when Aragorn had first entered the room. He used the bed on which he'd been sitting to keep himself balanced as he took a few steps toward Aragorn and the door. It was clear that he was not yet accustomed to walking with it.

"I'm gonna help grandma with another project now," Winry said. "Let me know if you need something, and don't do anything too strenuous. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah," Edward muttered as Winry headed out of the room. Once she was gone, Edward looked up at Aragorn again.

"It seems a lot has happened since I saw you last," Aragorn remarked as Edward gripped a stout cane that had been leaning against the bed and began walking out of the room.

"Yeah, you could say that," Edward replied. His tone was remorseful and… shameful?

"Why were you coughing up blood?" Aragorn asked.

"Getting adjusted to automail is pretty rough," Edward answered, his tone more casual than what the situation called for. "Especially if you want to get it done fast."

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

Edward was silent as they made their way through the building and outside to the front steps. Alphonse had left his seat and was now doing some task in the yard. Once the two had sat down, Edward twirled the wood in his hand once before resting his chin on it. "I'm hoping to get into the State Alchemist program by the end of next year. Besides, I miss being able to move around on my own."

"The same program your teacher is against," Aragorn pointed out. Judging by how Edward flinched, he had been hoping that Aragorn wouldn't have noticed, but…

"I wouldn't do it if I didn't need to," Edward replied. "Besides, she's in Dublith, she might not find out…"

Now Edward was visibly trembling, and he had broken out into a cold sweat. He looked more terrified at the prospect of his teacher discovering his plans than he had when he'd been attacked by orcs. It seemed that Edward had had quite the experience back then.

"Even so," Edward continued. "It's not like I have much of a choice if I want to help him." This last phrase was a whisper, and Aragorn noted that Edward's gaze was resting upon the armor that Alphonse wore. Aragorn looked at Alphonse as well. Something had been different about the boy's actions, and now that he had a moment to observe, he understood what it was. Alphonse's movements were subdued, and they lacked the life they'd had before.

"Why is he wearing armor?"

"I'm missing an arm and leg," Edward replied. "Can you guess what he's missing?"

Aragorn looked at the armor. It _had_ seemed odd that such a young boy could move it so easily, but what Alphonse could have lost was beyond him. "I can't."

"There's nothing in there. His entire body was taken. I managed to bond his soul to that armor, but it's probably not much better than being dead. That's why I have to help him. I need to find a way to get his body back."

"How did this happen?" Aragorn asked. Edward was acting as if his brother's body still existed.

"A rebound," Edward replied. "We were using alchemy, and something went wrong.

The way Edward said it, along with his stance and the way his eyes were glued to the ground, told Aragorn that there was more to the story; something that Edward was ashamed to admit. However, Aragorn would leave the matter alone for the moment. These boys were in too much pain as it was, and they were definitely not ready to leave their home country. It appeared they would have to wait.

"How long will it take?" Aragorn asked. "For your arm and leg, I mean."

Ed looked down at his leg and moved it a bit. "According to Winry, the average time is about three years."

"And yet you wish to be in the military within two years."

"Three years is the average," Edward stated, his eyes glowing with fierce determination. "I'll do it in one."

Aragorn nodded as he stood up. "Then I will return in two years."

Edward scowled. "You don't think I can do it?"

"I never said that," Aragorn said, holding back a laugh. He shouldn't have expected any less from Edward. Even when his life took a turn for the worst, his spirit could not be broken. "You'll be in the military by then, won't you? I wish to hear about it."

"Oh. Okay then." Edward looked up after a moment with confusion evident in his face. "But then why did you come here today?"

Aragorn contemplated the question for a moment. Now that the brothers had so much on their minds, taking them to Rivendell now would not be in their best interests. He decided it was best to leave them be for the moment. "I wanted to see how your training went."

"Oh. It was fine. We learned a lot when we were there."

"I'm glad to hear it. I must go now, but I will see you again in two years."

"Yeah, okay. See you."

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

LAAAARRRRR.


	8. Chapter 8

Very, very short chapter this time. Interesting stuff coming up in the next chapter, though. So yeah. Enjoy.

.,,..,,.,..,,..,

The sky was dark in Resembool when Ed and Al got off the train two years later. Most people were inside on a day like this, and the atmosphere was affecting Ed's ability to stay awake. He yawned once again as they trudged down the road to the Rockbell home, and made a half-hearted attempt to stretch.

"Man, I couldn't sleep at all," he remarked to Al as he let his arms drop. "Stupid terrorists."

"Well, brother, at least it's over with now," Al said. "Besides, now you have a good reason to be here."

"What do you mean by that? I had a perfectly good reason before this happened!" Ed thrust out his arm, which was bent at an awkward angle.

"Oh, please, brother. Just because he said he'd be back in two years doesn't mean you have to meet him there! Besides, what if he doesn't show up anytime soon?"

"It's been almost exactly two years, Al. I'm pretty sure he'll be here soon. Besides, if we aren't around there, he'll probably end up trying to find us, and I don't know how well he'd do with trains."

For some reason, that struck Al as hilarious, and Ed stared at his brother as the armor seemed to go into convulsions.

"Al! What's wrong with you?" Ed asked as he tried to get his brother to calm down.

"I don't know, brother, but that just seemed really familiar for some reason…"

Ed snorted. "Whatever. Come on, we're almost there."

They couldn't have had better timing. Right as they knocked on the door, the rain began to fall, and Winry immediately let them in.

"Hey, you're here!" she said as she helped Ed get his coat off. "How have you…"

Ed cringed. She'd seen his arm.

"Ed. What the hell did you do."

"It's not my fault!" Ed snapped. "Some guy slammed it in a train door!"

"Then don't stick your arms in doors when people are closing them!" Winry retorted.

"He was a terrorist! I didn't have much of a choice!"

"Fine. You're getting off easy this time," Winry said as she ushered Ed into the living room. "Let's see just how bad it is."

A few tests and several minutes later, Winry pulled off the limb and placed on the nearby work bench. "Well, granny's out of town for the night, so we might have to wait a while to get it completely fixed," she said as she walked toward the kitchen. "Anyway, I was just about to make dinner. Wanna help me cook, Al?"

"Sure," Al said, and he followed Winry into the kitchen. Ed followed a little while later and sat down at the table.

"Sure, don't ask the one-armed kid for help. I see how it is," he muttered teasingly, waiting to see Winry's reaction.

"Get over it, Ed. Maybe you can use the time to give those shoes of yours some added height."

"Say that again?!" Ed shouted. Winry laughed.

"Oh, come on, it'd be perfect for you!"

Ed scowled. "At least Strider doesn't make fun of my height," he muttered, not quite realizing that he could still be heard.

"Only because he hasn't seen you lately," Winry replied.

Ed rolled his eyes and looked outside. "Man, it's really coming down outside."

"Yeah. I don't think anyone would want to be out in this," Al said.

Ed sighed and rested his head on the wood. Maybe Strider not coming now would be a good thing…

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

As night fell, and the lights of Resembool went off one by one, Aragorn slowly began the process of drying off. His horse was currently sleeping next to the fire that Aragorn had miraculously been able to start, and as he looked at his surroundings, Aragorn realized that he had rarely been so thankful for a simple cave.

The next few days would likely be difficult; due to Alphonse's current form, he would have to stay behind. Aragorn did not wish to separate the brothers, but considering the circumstances, Edward needed to learn as much as he could. At the very least, he would be prepared.

Tomorrow, he would begin his search for the brothers, and once he found them, he would explain, to an extent, why Edward needed to come with him. It would be difficult, but he would not be able to take him by force. That would only make things worse. And with that thought in mind, Aragorn went to sleep for the night.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

It was late the next morning when Ed dragged himself out of bed and downstairs to the kitchen. Winry was already up and working, and she pointed to a full plate on the counter. "I'm used to cooking for me and Granny, so I made enough for two. It's probably still warm."

"Oh, thanks," Ed mumbled as he grabbed the plate and sat down opposite from Winry. "Where's Al?"

"He went to get me a few things in town. He'll probably be gone for a few hours."

Ed grunted his acknowledgement and yawned again. "What time is it?"

"About ten. So it looks like I can fix your arm by tomorrow. Then you can get out of here and move on with your life."

Ed shook his head. "Nah, I don't feel like going back to traveling just yet."

"Why not?"

Ed grunted. He didn't want to tell her the real reason, but he couldn't come up with a good excuse very easily, either. Winry seemed to see right through him, however, because she smirked at him.

"Aw, does widdle Ed have a big friend he wants to see?"

"Shut up!" Ed snapped, chucking a bit of fried potato at Winry's head. Winry blocked it and retaliated with a wrench, which nailed Ed on the head.

"Don't throw food, Ed! That's immature!"

"Oh, and making fun of me isn't?" Ed retorted.

"Who said I was making fun of you?"

"You called me little!"

Winry smirked again. "It's a fact, Ed. Get used to it."

Ed stuffed the last of the food in his mouth and stood up. "Well, if you're done mocking me, I'm going to the cemetery."

"To visit her grave?" Winry asked.

Ed nodded. "It's been a while."

"Oh. I'd go with you, but I really should get to work on your arm. Hey, Ed, could you bring them flowers for me?"

Ed gave Winry a confused look for a minute before comprehending. "Yeah, sure."

Winry smiled. "Thanks. See you later."

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

When he saw the suit of armor in the distance, Aragorn's first thought was that Edward really was small. He couldn't see the boy anywhere. However, he quickly realized that Edward simply wasn't with his brother. Perhaps this would be the best chance to find the best way to convince Edward to come with him.

He approached Alphonse as he exited a shop, a rather large bag in his arms. The armor didn't notice him at first, but when he did, his reaction was rather unexpected. Alphonse looked at him for a moment before saying, "Wow, brother was right for once."

,.,.,.,.

By the way, I'm getting a new computer soon, so updates should hopefully come more frequently once I've gotten it and broken it in. That is, assuming my teachers don't go homework-crazy or anything, which seems very likely this semester. Plus, I'm applying to study abroad, so I'll have to concentrate a lot more on German now.


	9. Chapter 9

Ahhhhhhhh I hate life. So, uh, that computer I mentioned… still don't have it. The world seems to be hating me this semester, but I'll probably get over it soon. I hope.

,.,.,.,.

"Hey, mom."

The sun was shining in the cemetery, and the flowers that now rested on the Rockbells' graves looked more beautiful there than Ed had thought they would. The same flowers adorned his own mother's grave, and as he stood there, he couldn't help but feel his mom was listening. He realized it was stupid, but for now, he'd just go with it.

"I wanted to apologize… again. Things really didn't work out the way I wanted them to. But… I'm working things out now. After Winry's done with my arm, we're going to this town near Central to check out a rumor there. I'm hoping it'll be successful this time."

Ed let out a sigh as he looked up at the old remains of his house. After a while, he shook his head and looked back down.

"Anyway, we might be here for a while… this guy, he saved my life a long time ago, said he'd be coming here around now, so I want to make sure he doesn't try scouring the countryside looking for us. He'd probably end up getting into trouble with the military or something."

A sudden gust of wind knocked the flowers out of place, and Ed took a moment to replace them.

"He's really nice, though. He actually comes back once in a while, unlike dad. I wish you could have met him."

In the distance, Ed saw Al walking toward the Rockbell house. It looked like someone was with him, but it was hard to tell from so far away. The only reason he knew it was Al was because of the sun reflecting off the metal.

"Anyway, I should probably go back. Winry might need me for something."

And with that, Ed turned and walked away.

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

"…And I think that's just about everything you should know about Ed," Al said as they arrived at the Rockbell home. "You can probably see why I was so hesitant about this at first."

Strider nodded and stopped at the door. "And you're sure this is the best way to convince him?"

"Oh, yeah. You'd never get him to go if you gave him a choice. Besides, when he figures it out, he'll be fine with it."

"I see. Well, I'll be sure to bring him back by the end of the summer."

"Yeah, okay. I guess I'll see you then."

And with that, Strider turned and headed down the road. Al watched him for a moment before realizing something. "Oh! One more thing!"

Strider turned and gave Al a curious look. "What is it?"

"Don't say anything about his height unless you want some entertainment. He _hates_ it when people call him short."

Strider smiled. "I'll keep that in mind," he said as he turned and walked down the road.

Al let out a sigh as he put the bag down and opened the door. He didn't like having to wait to restore their bodies, but from the vague details Strider had shared with him, he agreed that this was much more important. He just hoped Ed would see it that way.

"Winry? I'm back," Al called as he entered the building. "Where's brother?"

"Oh, hey, Al," Winry called from her seat at the work table. "Ed went out to visit your mom."

"Oh. Hey, Winry, you know how Strider was supposed to come sometime soon?"

Winry put down her wrench and looked up at Al. "Yeah. What about it?"

"Well, he's here, but he needs to take Ed somewhere for a while."

"Huh? Why?"

Al shrugged. "He told me, but he said it's supposed to stay secret. Anyway, I need to get brother out to the forest tomorrow without telling him what's going on, and I need some help."

"Wait. Why don't you just tell Ed?"

"Because otherwise he won't go," Al replied. "You know how stubborn he can be. Anything longer than a week is too big a waste of time for him if it doesn't have to do with the Philosopher's Stone."

"Oh." Winry went back to working for a while. "Well, maybe I could tell him you went out to the forest to help someone and you need his help. When do you need him out there?"

"As soon as his arm's done. Thanks, Winry."

"Yeah, no problem."

A few minutes later, the door opened, and Ed entered the building. He stretched and sat down on the couch. "Hey, guys. When's Granny supposed to get back?"

"Sometime tomorrow," Winry replied. "But you'll probably be out of here by then, right?"

Ed shrugged. "No real rush. We'll probably be here for a while this time."

Winry raised an eyebrow at the small alchemist. "That's unusual for you. Are you still waiting for your new idol?"

Al was very glad his face could show no emotion at this moment. Ed jumped to his feet, his face as red as a tomato, and glared at Winry. "He's not my idol! He's just some guy who happened to save my _life_!"

"Okay, suit yourself," Winry said as she went back to her work.

Ed glared at Winry again before storming out of the room. Winry and Al exchanged amused glances before Al followed his brother upstairs and to the balcony.

"Stupid Winry doesn't know anything," Ed muttered to himself as he looked out at the valley.

"Oh, come on, brother, you know she was kidding," Al said as he stood next to him.

Ed tensed and looked pointedly away from Al. "I know. I just don't think it's funny."

_Of course you knew,_ Al thought sarcastically. "Well, brother, if it makes you feel better, I don't think it's funny either."

Ed looked over at Al after a moment. "You don't?"

"Not at all. In fact, I think it's kind of cute."

Sure, Ed chased him for about an hour after that, and yeah, he knocked Al's head off a few times, but Al had no regrets. It was just too much fun to tease his brother.

.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,

The sun was shining in Ed's eyes when he woke up the next morning, and after a few minutes of stubbornly covering his eyes, he gave up and got out of bed. After pulling on some clothes and stumbling down the stairs, he found Winry sitting at the kitchen table. Once again, there was another plate of food on the table.

"I finished your arm," Winry said as Ed ate. "We can put it on once you're done eating."

Ed grunted. He was too tired to come up with a real response.

"After that, Al wants you to go find him by the forest. He's helping out with a project and they'll probably need your help, too," Winry said.

Ed grunted again. He figured he'd probably get roped into doing some work while he was here. Once he finished, he followed Winry to the other room, where she placed his arm and connected it. Once Ed recovered from the resulting pain, he pulled his shirt back on and looked down at his leg.

"Hey, I just realized you never checked my leg this time."

"Oh? Well, let's check it right now, then," Winry replied. "Sit."

"Eh? You're in a hurry," Ed said as he followed her instructions.

"I want to see if there's anything I can fix before you go out there," Winry replied as she shoved up his pant leg and lifted the limb onto the edge of the table. "Put your other leg up here."

Ed sighed and did as he was told. Winry was acting strangely, but it was probably nothing. She was just an obsessed mechanic, after all…

"Damn. Your leg's short," Winry finally said. "By about three centimeters, too."

"Really? That much?" Ed asked excitedly.

"Well, yeah, we haven't resized it since you got it. Imagine that."

"So I guess you'll just have to work on it while I'm gone, then," Ed said.

"No, no, no! It can wait! You have to hurry and find Al now, anyway!" Winry shouted, shoving Ed out the door and tossing him his coat. "Bye, Ed!"

When the door slammed behind him, Ed turned and looked back, confused out of his mind. Winry was certainly acting strangely today, but he supposed there was nothing he could do about it. He shook his head and turned to the road. Hopefully Al didn't need him too soon, because he didn't feel like rushing. He kicked a stone with his left foot, noting that his leg did seem shorter than he'd remembered. He hoped he wouldn't be out in the forest for too long.

It took him a while for him to arrive at the edge of the woods, and Al was waiting for him by one of the trees. Ed waved and walked up to him.

"Hey, Al. Winry said you needed my help with something?"

"Oh. Yeah. Help. Yeah, come on, brother. He's pretty close by."

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Oh. The guy we're helping. Come on, brother, we need to hurry!" And with that, Al began running off into the forest, Ed shouting questions after him as he tried to keep up. After a while, Al stopped, almost causing Ed to run into him. "Okay, we're close now, I think. Brother, why don't you stay here for a minute, and I'll see where he is."

"Why don't I just come with you?" Ed asked. "It'll save time that way."

"B-because he might come here looking for us. I don't want to miss him," Al stuttered before turning around and walking off. "Just wait there, brother. I'll be back soon."

Ed watched in shock as Al left before shaking his head and sitting down. It wasn't just Winry; his own brother was acting strangely. Was something going to happen?

Immediately, his senses were on alert, and he leaned against a tree as he looked around. Something about this place both fascinated and worried him, and a bad feeling was creeping up on him. It took a more solid form when his world went black. He struggled like crazy when strong hands grasped his arms, trying to break free, or at the very least get rid of the blindfold covering his eyes. He almost broke free several times, but in the end, something struck his neck, and he was unconscious before he hit the ground.

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Once Edward had gone limp in Aragorn's grasp, the Ranger lay him down on the ground by his packs before sitting down. Edward would awaken in a few minutes, and he needed to prepare himself for the coming storm. Alphonse had warned him that he would fight back, but he hadn't expected to receive quite so many bruises from the event. At least the boy hadn't been armed.

A few minutes later, Edward shifted, and while his eyes remained closed, Aragorn could tell he was awake. The alchemist was probably determining whether he was in immediate danger; an unexpected yet welcome reaction. He had probably picked up that habit from his time in the military. His movements lacked subtlety, something that rendered the entire act ineffective, but it showed that Edward would be a good student.

"Edward?" Aragorn called out finally, not wishing to stay here longer than he needed to. At the sound of his name, Edward opened his eyes and looked about him, sitting up when he saw Aragorn.

"What happened?" he asked, rubbing his head with his flesh hand. "I thought someone was trying to kidnap me, but…" Upon seeing the developing bruises on Aragorn's hands, as well as the cloth that had covered Edward's eyes, Edward scowled. "Okay, what's going on?"

Aragorn kept his face serious as he spoke. "I need you to come with me."

.,.,.,.,.,.,

Ed stared at Strider in shock for a moment. He sounded so serious, Ed couldn't help but wonder if something disastrous had happened, and he wasn't sure what to say for a while. Finally, he found his voice again and asked, "Why?"

"Your military is worse than you realize. We have decided you need to be prepared for the worst."

Ed stared at Strider again. _This_ was why he had been dragged out here? For some kind of training? Ed shook his head. "I know how bad it can get in the military. I mean, my commanding officer blackmails me every chance he gets, most of the higher ranks have tried to get my help in some scam of theirs, hell, I've been kicked out of buildings when people hear that I work for the military–"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?" Ed asked, keeping his voice as level as he could. "I have something I need to do, I can't just abandon that!"

"I can't tell you at the moment, but I can assure you, it's more important than you realize."

Ed shook his head. "I can't. Besides, if it's so important, then why didn't you just ask me like a normal person?"

Strider's face was emotionless as he answered. "I was told you would react this way."

Ed scowled. "So what you're saying is I don't have much of a choice."

"No."

Ed glared at Strider before standing up. "Well, I'm not going." He turned and walked away, half expecting to get tackled or something, but Strider remained sitting. He had almost gotten to the two leaning trees that he remembered led back to his world when something suddenly pulled him back. The sudden resistance caused him to lose his balance, and he fell on his back. It was then that he noticed the rope tied around his automail wrist, and he glared at Strider once again.

"Let me guess. You'll drag me with you if you have to."

Strider ignored this as he untied the other end of the rope. "Tell me, how well do you think you would be doing if I had been an enemy? Do you really think you are ready for what awaits you?"

Ed scowled and picked at the knot on his wrist. He hated to admit it, but Strider was right. He could have been seriously injured, but he had no injuries to speak of. Of course, the same couldn't be said for Strider, but at the same time, he had brought it upon himself. Ed sure as hell wasn't going to take the blame for that one.

Strider stood in front of him and held out a hand. "It will only be a few months. You will be back by the end of the summer."

Ed ignored the hand and pushed himself to his feet. "What about Al?"

"He can't come, otherwise he would be here with you."

"Yeah, but does he know?"

Strider placed a hand on Ed's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "I wouldn't separate you two without him knowing. Will you trust me?"

Ed looked away. He did trust Strider, but he couldn't just leave Al behind like that. No, he would have to get back. Besides, if Strider was willing to kidnap him, he'd just have to put up with it when his captive escaped.

"I trust you," Ed muttered finally, avoiding eye contact with Strider. The older man walked toward the packs on the ground nearby and began packing them on his horse.

"Have you been on a horse since last time?" Strider asked once he finished.

"Yes," Ed muttered.

"We'll have to hurry if we want to get there by nightfall," Strider said. "Come."

In the end, Ed sat behind Strider, the rope still on his wrist, as they rode through the forest. After about fifteen minutes, Ed checked the rope. He wouldn't be able to untie it without being noticed, but he could use alchemy. He'd have to be quick, but he could probably get pretty far, especially if he cut through the bushes. Besides, even if he didn't get away, he'd at least get the point across that he didn't want to go.

A moment later, he brought his hands together and got rid of the rope on his arm before jumping off the horse. He managed to land on his feet, but when he started to run, his arm snapped back, dragging the rest of his body with it. His head connected with the ground, and he knew he had at least one gash when the horse stopped, and he growled as he pushed himself to his feet, a little off balance, but otherwise unharmed.

"I was told you wouldn't give up so easily," Strider said as he approached him. Ed kept his eyes on the ground. This wasn't working how he'd hoped it would. He didn't resist as Strider sat him down on a nearby rock and looked at his head. It seemed he didn't have a chance now. "It isn't serious. It should heal in a few days."

Ed grunted and held his hair out of the way as Strider wrapped a bandage around the wound. As they got back on the horse and continued, Ed reached a hand up and tentatively felt the bandages. The cut was just above his ear, beneath his bangs. Like Strider had said, it wasn't too bad, and Ed probably wouldn't even have a scar.

"It's best not to touch it," Strider said without even looking back. Ed scowled and dropped his hand. As he'd expected, this little unexpected trip wasn't off to the best start. So far, both of them had been injured because of him, and they hadn't even gotten out of the woods when the sun began to set. Before it had gone behind one of the distant mountains, Strider stopped the horse and had Ed get off.

"We will camp here for the night. How's your head?"

"Fine," Ed muttered as he sat against a tree. A few minutes later, Strider had a fire going, and Ed stared at it as Strider began preparing a simple meal. They ate in silence, and Ed went back to staring at the flames as Strider pulled out a pipe. After another moment, Ed decided to try one more time. If he didn't make it this time, then he'd follow orders, but he wasn't going to let himself be taken away from his brother that easily.

When he stood and began walking away, he was surprised to learn that Strider didn't bother to come after him. In fact, he didn't say a word as Ed left, and when Ed looked back, he was still sitting, staring pensively into the fire. Ed rolled his eyes and continued walking.

When he had lost sight of the little camp, Ed turned and observed his surroundings. He hadn't realized it when he left, but he had unwittingly turned East when he had left camp. Not only was it too dark to see any tracks, but he wasn't even going the right way.

Ed let out a frustrated cry and slammed his fist into a nearby boulder before slumping against it. Why did he always have to screw up so badly? Not just now, either, but it seemed like there was always something. Everything he did just ended up in someone getting hurt. This time it was him, last time it was Al. And now he couldn't even work to fix his mistakes. All he could do was sit and wait as his brother inevitably grew to hate him more and more.

Ed buried his head in his arms. This was too much for him to handle. He gripped his bleeding hand and squeezed it, hoping the pain would distract him from what was going through his mind. In the end, though, he couldn't handle it, and he gave up trying to keep his emotions in check. When he felt a drop of water land on his head, Ed looked up. He could faintly see clouds in the sky; it was raining. The perfect weather for his mood. Ed let a grim smile slide onto his face and let the tears fall. In this weather, nobody would be able to tell the difference.

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And… Ed's angsting. Whoo.


	10. Chapter 10

Fdshfggfafvc update.

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It had been about two hours since Edward had left the camp. Aragorn had built the fire so that it was sheltered from the rain, and as he watched the flames, he considered the day's events.

So far, Edward had been as stubborn as Alphonse had predicted him to be; already the younger brother's idea, despite the resulting injuries, had proven to be the best solution. Once given time to think on the matter on his own, Edward would likely change his mind about the affair.

Of course, his behavior since setting up camp had been anything but promising. His silence had almost been unnerving, and the only reason Aragorn hadn't attempted to stop him was because he had gone the wrong way. At any rate, he would not find his way back at night, though that was the least of Aragorn's worries.

He stood and doused the fire before passing through the trees, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble. Within a few moments, he came upon a large boulder, underneath which lay the alchemist. Aragorn crouched down next to him and looked more closely. Edward was still alive, and though his hand was covered in blood, he was unharmed. He hadn't been seen by any unwelcome eyes.

Aragorn pushed Edward's hair back to check on the bandages, realizing that they were probably too wet to be of any good anyway. Sure enough, they were, and Aragorn was about to pull them off when he noticed something else. Though it was hard to tell with the minimal light, it appeared as though Edward had been crying.

He watched the sleeping form for a moment before standing. It was becoming evident that Edward could not be forced to accompany him. Even if he dragged the alchemist to Rivendell, it would feel too much like a prison to the boy. In the end, he would see Aragorn as an enemy, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He stood, checked the surrounding area once more, and returned to the camp. He gathered everything together before returning to Edward's side, placing his pack beneath a nearby tree. Once he had taken care of Edward's wounds, he covered the small form with a blanket, and he returned to the cover of the trees. They would speak about the matter tomorrow.

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The first thing that came to Ed's mind when he woke up was that he would regret his actions for a long time. He sniffled as he curled into a ball, trying to warm himself up, not noticing the blanket draped over his body until it touched his face. Ed stared at it for a moment, wondering how it had gotten there.

Strider.

He looked up, trying to get a better look at his surroundings. To his surprise, he was in the same place where he'd fallen asleep last night. He'd thought for sure that he'd be taken back to camp and lectured. Ed pushed himself to a sitting position, wincing at the pain in his left hand.

That's right, I punched the rock last night, he thought as he looked at the bandages. He must have done those, too. He shook his head and rested against the stone, keeping his eyes shut. Why had he been left here? Hadn't he been dragged all the way here for an important reason? He'd been taken from his world, his goals, his brother…

Al. Ed's eyes snapped open. Al had definitely been acting suspicious yesterday. When Strider had said that Al wouldn't be left in the dark, had that been a cover story for what had really happened? Had Al helped to arrange all this?

Ed stood. He knew what needed to be done now. He wouldn't let his brother down.

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It wasn't long after Aragorn awoke that he heard Edward approaching, the footsteps stopping twice along the way to allow for a rather ungraceful sneeze. Aragorn shook his head sadly. It seemed Edward had been unable to avoid catching a cold.

The alchemist stopped when he saw Aragorn sitting against a tree trunk, and he took a moment to observe the area before sitting down across from the Ranger. He kept his gaze lowered for the moment.

"You moved."

Aragorn raised an eyebrow at the boy. It was a rather blunt statement, but he didn't comment on it. He could tell Edward was having a hard time getting his thoughts together.

"It's dangerous to be alone in these woods," Aragorn replied. He didn't have to explain why.

"Yeah," Edward muttered. "I guess so."

Aragorn watched the boy for a moment before the latter spoke again. "It was pretty cold last night," he said, keeping his gaze on his left hand.

Aragorn continued to silently watch Edward. Whatever the boy had to say, it was difficult for him. A few minutes passed, and the silence weighed heavily on both of them. Finally, Edward looked up.

"Al helped set this up, didn't he?"

Aragorn nodded. He was glad that the alchemist had figured it out on his own, although with Alphonse's behavior, he was more surprised that it had taken this long to begin with. "He told me you would not come willingly."

Edward scowled. "I'm gonna kill him when this is over."

Aragorn looked into Edward's eyes. "So you will come?"

Edward smiled and shrugged. "It's not like I have much of a choice, right?"

Aragorn smiled back. He would have been willing to return the boy to his world, but since Edward was willing to stay, they could continue to Rivendell. They packed up rather quickly and went on their way.

,..,.,,..,,.,..,

As they rode on, Ed found himself wondering if he really was ready for this. Everything he could remember about this place was good, but he wasn't sure if he could trust those memories. After all, almost everything seemed brighter when he was little. Would it really be the way he remembered?

Everything he could see so far, though, brought back vague memories from that time. He didn't know whether to be relieved or nervous. He didn't know how well he'd fit in here, and if he was going to be here for a while… All of a sudden, he was grateful that he hadn't been wearing his usual outfit when he went into the forest. He had a feeling the black leather would just make him stick out more.

As they arrived and got off the horse, Ed also thought of how he was grateful for Strider's presence. If it came down to having to admit what he'd done, Ed had the feeling that at least he would understand. A few minutes later, when Elrond came down to greet them, Ed tried to look as normal as he could. He felt bad for putting Strider through so much trouble, even though he really had brought it on himself.

After they exchanged greetings, Elrond briefly looked both of them over, making Ed conscious of the bandages on his head and hand. Too bad there wasn't much of a chance of making up some cover story for those…

"It seems you ran into trouble on your way here," Elrond said finally, concern evident in his voice. Ed had to put a conscious effort into keeping a straight face. Of course, he'd always had trouble keeping himself from turning bright red, so he turned his head. There was no way in hell he'd be the one to tell this story.

To his relief, Strider stepped forward and said something in what Ed recognized as the Elven language, and Ed guessed that was their cue for him to leave, because Elrond then took him to a bedroom and told him to get some rest. Since he was still sick, Ed didn't bother to argue. Once he was alone, he pulled off his coat and lay down. A few minutes later, he was asleep.

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After Edward had been taken to his room to rest, Aragorn sat in his own room, taking a few minutes to recover from the journey. It had been relatively uneventful in the end, but the bruises that Edward had given him were becoming more pronounced. It would take a few days for them to fade, at the least.

A short while later, he went out into the hallway. At that moment, Elrond came out of the alchemist's room. The two of them walked down the hallway in silence for a moment before Elrond spoke.

"It seems you have quite a story to tell," he said. "What happened?"

Aragorn was brief in explaining the events that had occurred since he had left Rivendell a few days earlier. He didn't go into detail when he spoke about Edward's nervous breakdown, simply because he wanted to respect his privacy in those matters. He finished his tale as they came to a balcony, and they stood looking out over the valley.

"So he changed his mind in the end," Elrond said after a moment. "It is good that he made the choice on his own. It will be easier to teach him."

Aragorn nodded, though he was curious as to what had caused Edward to change his mind. Considering how stubborn he had been at first, it must have been difficult for him to make that decision without a very good reason.

"He will have to learn a great deal before you leave," Elrond continued. "He should at least be able to read, as well as know how to behave in this world."

A moment's silence passed, where both Man and Elf considered just how much effort would be required for this task, particularly the second part. Aragorn in particular was concerned, because of the words spoken by Alphonse on the subject.

"Brother's not exactly what you could call respectful. If he thinks it's undeserved, then he'll be a complete jerk, except when it's something important. Even when he's reporting to the Colonel…"

Aragorn had thought Alphonse's rants on his brother's behavior amusing at the time, but now that he'd had some experience with the boy, he was slightly concerned. Just how much of a struggle would it be to handle him?

They spoke a short while longer about the coming days before parting for the afternoon. Aragorn checked on the alchemist before returning to his own room.

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When Ed woke up, it was early evening, and he yawned and blinked a few times to get rid of the disorientation that came from falling asleep in the middle of the day. He stared at the ceiling for a while, not wanting to move just yet, before finally standing and pulling his gloves on. He didn't really feel like drawing attention to his right arm.

A moment later, the door opened, and Ed looked up to see Strider. The older man smiled when he saw that Ed was awake and walked up to him.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked, sitting in a chair across from Ed. Ed nodded, biting his lip to keep from sneezing. Thankfully, the urge passed, and he soon found himself able to breathe again. He opened his mouth to speak, but soon found that he didn't know what to say. In the end, he just frowned and looked down at his hands. Not that he was intimidated, he was just struggling with the realization that I have no idea what I'll be doing the next few months.

"You should not be so nervous," Strider said, as if he knew exactly what Ed was thinking. "You will have your answers by tonight."

Ed nodded again, feeling a little better, but still worried. He continued staring at his hands, not realizing that Strider had left his seat until the older man was standing in front of him.

"We'll eat after I check your wounds," Strider said, and Ed nodded again, holding out his hand and wincing as the bandages were pulled off. It was true that it didn't hurt much, but it looked pretty bad. Ed was surprised that he hadn't broken any bones.

"It will be a few days before this heals," Strider said after looking at it. "You're lucky it isn't any worse."

"Yeah, well, you're lucky I didn't get a chance to use alchemy back then," Ed retorted, trying his hardest to keep from blushing. He had to wonder what kind of impression he was making. Strider was one of the few people who made Ed care about his reputation, and he was one of an even smaller number that Ed had nothing but respect for.

"In that case, you should be glad I didn't let you drag when you attempted to run away," Strider replied calmly.

"Yeah, and maybe you should have told me that Al was a part of your little scheme," Ed shot back. He braced himself to continue, but to his surprise, Strider simply looked at him thoughtfully. "What?" Ed asked after a minute, not really liking the fact that he was being stared at.

"What made you change your mind?" Strider asked.

Ed blinked. He definitely hadn't expected that question. "A few things, I guess," he said after a moment. "Mostly thinking about Al, though."

"But wasn't he the one reason you wished to turn back?" Strider asked.

"Yeah, but then I realized something," Ed answered. "I mean, if Al agreed to this, then you must have been really convincing, and something tells me that whatever he heard from you was more important to him than our own goals."

Strider continued watching Ed with a thoughtful look on his face as Ed continued.

"I just figured that if it really means that much to him, then it has to be pretty important," he finished, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I didn't want to let him down."

It was quiet for a moment before Ed found the courage to look up. When he did, he was surprised to see that Strider was had an encouraging smile on his face. Ed, out of relief that his words had been taken seriously, smiled back.

Maybe this detour wouldn't be so bad after all.

,..,.,,..,,.,..,

Aragorn hadn't been too surprised to hear that Alphonse had been the reason for Edward's decision. It was only natural, considering the bond the two had. At any rate, what had been more surprising was how easily Edward smiled. It seemed that though his life had taken a turn for the worst, he had managed to retain every quality he had had as a child, though some were less desirable than others.

He finished his work in silence, though it was not an uncomfortable one. Once he had determined that Edward's head was healing well, he stood, and soon after, they ate a simple dinner.

After they had eaten, Aragorn led Edward to a nearby balcony. Edward was understandably nervous, though he hid it fairly well when Elrond met them there. Edward kept his face emotionless as they explained what was in store for him, and both Man and Elf were pleased to see that Edward had no objections. It appeared that this venture would be easier than they had first thought.

Once they had finished discussing what the future held in store for them, their discussion moved to other, equally important matters, which Edward was the first to mention. After talk of traveling had ceased, Edward raised his right arm, pointed at it, and asked, "What about this?"

"You will have to be sure to keep it hidden," Elrond replied. "Your appearance is more memorable than you realize, and you must be sure not to draw more attention to yourself. Which also means," Elrond continued, "You will have to leave your coat."

Edward looked down at the red sleeves for a moment before nodding. It was painfully obvious that he didn't want to leave it behind.

They went over a few other precautions as the sun set, and when they had finished, Aragorn walked with Edward toward their rooms. However, before they left the balcony, a resounding clang filled the air, and Aragorn looked back to see Edward pushing himself up off the ground. Nothing was said about this incident, but Aragorn knew full well that Edward had tripped in the same spot that he had eight years ago, and judging by the look on Edward's face, the boy knew it as well.

,..,.,,..,,.,..,

So guys, I have like 20 stories that I haven't updated in forever. Some of them I still want to work on but haven't really had the chance, some of them I don't want to continue because I think they need to be redone completely, and some of them I just don't care about anymore. I'm trying to come up with a solution for the last two groups that won't leave everyone hanging, which means I may add a few half-assed 'wrap-up' chapters, or just put up a summary of what I was going to write and let you imagine the ending or something. I hate the idea of giving up on these fics, but I honestly shouldn't have put some of them up in the first place because half of them I have no idea where I was going with them and such.

So yeah, I'll try to get that figured out soon, but until then, don't expect any updates on some of the older ones, except for Strange Worlds, because I plan on actually getting the next chapter done before the end of the month.


	11. Chapter 11

I wish this semester was over. I really do.

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The next day passed without much incident; Edward was still sick from staying out in the rain, but he was almost completely recovered by the end of the day. He began his lessons that afternoon, beginning with the written language. Edward did fairly well in the beginning, using his own country's alphabet as a guide. By the end of the day, he was able to write out the most basic sentences with very little aid.

The next day, however, was more difficult. Though Edward had agreed to learning the customs of Middle-Earth without a complaint, it was clear to Aragorn that he had little interest in the subject. Though he appeared to be interested, every once in a while Aragorn found himself calling out to the boy to bring his attention back to what they were going over. However, each time it happened, it became more and more difficult to bring him back.

The seventh time it happened, Aragorn decided that it was time for a different method. He stood, picked up a nearby book, and slammed it on the table in front of the alchemist. The resulting noise was enough to startle Edward out of his reverie, and the alchemist fell out of his chair with a shout.

"Is it that difficult for you to pay attention?" Aragorn asked as he helped the alchemist to his feet.

"Sorry," Edward muttered. He looked very much like a scolded schoolchild, though Aragorn kept his amusement to himself. It was important for Edward to learn these things quickly so that they could leave soon, and in order to do so, Edward needed to pay more attention. He began explaining this to the boy, but Edward soon interrupted him.

"I know, but I can't help it," he said. "I guess I didn't get much sleep last night."

"I understand," Aragorn replied. "You are still recovering, after all."

Edward looked relieved, and after a brief lunch, Edward went back to studying Tengwar, though Aragorn still caught him drifting off on occasion. He made a mental note to make sure that Edward slept well that night.

,..,.,,..,,.,..,

The next morning, when Edward awoke, he seemed more energetic than the day before, and Aragorn felt relieved. The day went well until that afternoon, when Edward began to show the same signs of exhaustion as the day before. Aragorn made no comment this time, but he made sure to observe the alchemist more closely this time. He was beginning to suspect that something was preventing Edward from getting enough rest.

He shared his suspicions with Elrond that evening, while Edward was speaking with a hobbit for the first time. When he had finished explaining the situation, Elrond turned and looked thoughtfully towards where Edward and Bilbo sat together.

"You have good reason for concern," he said after a moment. "Though I doubt this is caused by some illness."

"Then what do you think is causing it?" Aragorn asked.

"It is likely that something is causing unrest within him, burdening his soul to the point that it affects his sleep. I will watch him tonight to make sure."

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"You see, most hobbits prefer a simple, uneventful life, but I am not that sort of hobbit," Bilbo said as Ed looked at the first few pages of his book. "Though I did stay in Bag End for a number of years after that journey. I adopted a cousin of mine, Frodo, as my heir. He's a fine young hobbit, I must say. A much better heir than those Sackville-Bagginses."

Ed snorted. He hadn't expected to find someone here whose upbringing had been so similar to his… well, despite the lack of technology and war. Hobbiton, and the Shire in general, sounded a lot like the way Resembool had been before Ishbal, and Bilbo had a way of drawing out Ed's curiosity. In a way, it made him feel like a kid again.

"I'm glad there's nobody like that back home," Ed said after a while. "The only real conflicts happened a few years ago, during the–" Ed stopped suddenly, remembering that he wasn't supposed to say too much about where he came from. "During a really big argument," he finally said.

"How old are you?" Bilbo asked.

"Thirteen," Ed answered.

"Is that so? I thought you were older," the hobbit said.

Ed blinked. "You did?"

"Why, yes," Bilbo answered. "You have a good head on your shoulders, my lad." There was a momentary silence in which Ed took all this in. Soon, Bilbo looked at him with concern and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Ed shook his head. "No, nothing. You just surprised me," he replied, shifting his gaze determinedly toward the sky to hide his face. "Usually people think I'm younger."

"Well, appearances are often deceiving," Bilbo said. "Take my good friend the Dúnadan up there." He gestured up to a nearby balcony, where Ed saw Strider talking with Elrond. "If you walked past him in a town like Bree, you wouldn't think to look twice at such a weather-beaten traveler, but as you probably know very well by now, he is much more than that."

Ed frowned. It was obvious that Bilbo was talking about Strider, but why did he call him the Dúnadan? Then again, Ed couldn't recall hearing anyone else call him that other than him and Al. Besides, it was just a name. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway.

"How did you happen to meet him?" Bilbo asked, snapping Ed out of his thoughts.

"He saved my life when I was younger," Ed answered.

"Ah, yes, I remember now. About eight years ago, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Ed replied, slightly surprised that Bilbo knew about it.

"I heard a great deal about you back then," Bilbo said. "It seems you still have quite the talent for attracting trouble," he laughed, gesturing to Ed's forehead.

Ed laughed as well. "You have no idea…"

At that moment, Ed felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Strider behind him. The older man smiled and sat next to him. "He does more than just attract it, Bilbo. He causes it."

"I do not!" Ed snapped.

"Your brother told me otherwise," Strider replied. "He told me quite a few stories concerning the two of you."

"Yeah, well, I have just as many stories about him," Ed shot back. "Don't let his little innocent act fool you. He's just as bad as I am."

"I thought you said you weren't a troublemaker," Strider said, his amusement apparent in his eyes.

"That's– I only do that when someone deserves it!" Ed shot back, feeling his face burn. "Besides, _I've_ never kidnapped anyone before."

Strider laughed. "All right, you make a good point. However, this," he continued, poking at Ed's forehead. "Is entirely your fault."

Ed rolled his eyes, but he didn't argue that point. "Whatever you say."

"So then, Bilbo, I take it you've told Edward all about your adventures by now?"

Bilbo shook his head. "Of course not. At least, not in detail…"

They continued to talk until sometime after the sun set, and then Strider accompanied Ed to his room for the night. When Ed finally got to sleep, his dreams were filled with blissful memories.

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_The clouds moved across the sky in a lazy fashion, and he ran with his brother through the grass without a care in the world, shoving him playfully whenever he came close and laughing more than he ever had since that fateful night. He didn't understand why he was this way again, young and without scars, but as long as his brother was at his side, he couldn't care less._

_They collapsed in the grass after a while and stared at the clouds, pointing out their shapes to each other for a while before a sudden gust of wind made them both shiver. Then they weren't outside anymore. They were in their Father's study, and a blinding light came from the center._

_He shielded his eyes and backed away, fearing that time was repeating itself and he would soon lose his brother once again. His arm and leg were metal once more, and when he finally dared to look at the center of the room, his eyes widened and he let out an anguished cry._

_Before he could help his brother, however, he found himself on the ground. He stared in horror at the beast pinning him, its seemingly fluffy body proving to be too heavy for him to lift, and as its adorable face neared his, he braced himself for the final strike…_

And his eyes snapped open.

It took him a moment to remember where he was, and he rubbed his eyes with his flesh hand as he sat up. It took him a minute to realize he wasn't alone in the room.

"It's time to get up," Elrond said.

Ed nodded in acknowledgement, and as soon as he was alone in the room, he stumbled out of bed, almost tripping over his shoes as he went to pull on his clothes.

Once he was finally dressed, he went out to find Strider, noting with some confusion that the sun was higher in the sky than was usual for when he got up. Of course, he doubted it was more than an hour after dawn. He seriously didn't understand how these people could get up so early.

He could see Strider and Elrond talking outside, and he was about to go out there when he realized he hadn't braided his hair. He pulled it into a ponytail before going out.

,..,.,,..,,.,..,

It was, for the most part, an uneventful day after Aragorn spoke with Elrond about Edward. Edward showed signs of weariness throughout the day, but as long as Aragorn kept him occupied, he did well. He did exceptionally well when it came to writing, and as Aragorn soon found out, it was due to Edward's extensive study of alchemical runes in his younger days. The boy's talent for alchemy was helping him in many ways, it seemed.

When they stopped for lunch, Aragorn noted with interest that Edward took the time to braid his hair. It was a simple gesture, but Aragorn suspected it had to do with the comment about his father Elrond had made earlier that day.

He hadn't realized until that moment just how far Edward's loathing for his father went. Aragorn could see just how hard it was for Edward not to make a derisive comment on the subject, and it had been a relief when they had begun their lessons. Edward seemed to have forgotten about it by the time they had finished lunch.

"Why is it that whenever you mention someone important, you always say who his father is?" Edward asked suddenly, halfway through the afternoon.

Aragorn frowned slightly at this question. It seemed Edward hadn't forgotten after all. "Well, in many cases, it's the only way to clearly identify someone, since the only folk with surnames live in the west."

"But what if someone doesn't want to be known as their father's son?" Edward asked persistently.

Aragorn let out a resigned sigh. "If it bothers you that much, then you have to make a name for yourself that people are more likely to remember."

Edward blinked and looked back down at the table. "Oh. But then how come it's not that usual to hear the mother's name?"

Now it was Aragorn's turn to be confused. "…What?"

Edward stared in near shock at Aragorn for a moment before groaning and resting his head in his hands. "Don't tell me…"

"Is something wrong?" Aragorn asked, not quite understanding the sudden change in Edward's attitude.

Edward dropped his arms to the table and looked up after a moment. "Have… have you ever met a female soldier?"

"No, I haven't," Aragorn answered, noting that the alchemist seemed troubled. "Edward, what is this about?"

It was quiet for another moment before Edward shook his head. "It's nothing important. It's just… different back home." It was quiet for another moment before Edward looked up again. "Anyway… How much longer will we be here?"

"At the rate you're learning, most likely a week or so," Aragorn replied. He realized that for some reason, their previous discussion was awkward for the alchemist, so for now, he let it be. Maybe he'd understand why later on.

,.,..,.,.,.,,.,.

It wasn't long before Edward had sufficiently mastered the customs and writing of Middle-Earth, and Aragorn began to plan their journey in the mornings, letting Edward sleep for several hours longer than he had in the beginning. They spent their afternoons going over basic details, though Aragorn didn't tell Edward where they were going. He wanted to test the alchemist's sense of direction, not to mention he wasn't sure himself where his search would lead. For once again, it was time to renew his search for Gollum, though with Edward along, he didn't have high expectations.

Finally, the day came to depart from Rivendell, and as they finished packing, Aragorn noted that Edward had a folded garment lying on top of his pack. He gave the alchemist a curious look, but Edward merely shrugged it off.

"It's my coat."

There was a short, stunned silence on Aragorn's part before Edward noticed and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's brown."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I used alchemy on it last night. I figured that was better than red, right?"

"You really wanted it enough to change the color?" Aragorn asked, a playful smile appearing on his features.

"It's a good coat," Edward retorted. "I always have it when I'm traveling."

Aragorn picked up the fabric and looked at it curiously. Sure enough, it was brown everywhere except for the back, where Aragorn could just make out the alchemical symbol that had adorned it before. "And you left this?" he asked, pointing it out.

"It's not like anyone's gonna get a good look at it," Ed snapped, snatching the coat back and shoving it messily into his pack. "Besides, I've always had that on there. My teacher also had it tattooed right here," he continued, pointing just below his collarbone. I'd tell you what it means, but then I'd have to explain the history and theory of alchemy, and I was under the impression that you wanted to get out of here before noon."

Aragorn nearly laughed at this; Edward made a good point. "Very well. You can tell me as we go on our way."

"Sure," Edward replied. They finished their preparations, said their farewells to Elrond, and shouldered their packs and beginning their trek down what would be a long and arduous road.


	12. Chapter 12

Ghgtjhhfgjdsatshgnfdgsf okay here's your update.

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"…And that's what it means," Ed finished as they made their way towards the mountains in the distance. "So I guess you could say it's pretty important to us."

"I see," Strider replied. "And you learned all of this from your teacher?"

"Most of it. We knew some of it beforehand, though."

"Did you learn a lot with her, then?"

"Oh, yeah. More than just alchemy, too," Ed replied before realizing just where this would lead. He immediately shut his mouth and shoved his hands in his pockets. There was no way in hell he was going to bring _that_ up if he didn't have to.

"How so?" Strider asked.

"'To train the mind, one must first train the body,'" Ed quoted. "We heard that one a lot."

"Do you think it's true?"

Ed shrugged. "It worked for us, at least."

Strider smiled. "Then perhaps I should follow her example."

Ed froze in his tracks. It was all he could do not to scream like a girl and run away, and he stared at Strider fearfully for a moment before he finally forced the words out. "I d-don't think that's really necessary…"

Strider raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah, great," Ed replied a little too cheerfully, and he continued walking, trying not to let his fear of Izumi show up again.

"Are you that afraid of her?" Strider asked.

"She gave me a knife and left us on a deserted island for a month," Ed said. "We weren't allowed to use alchemy, either."

"Really?"

"She had her employee hang out on the island and make sure we didn't die," Ed continued. "But at the same time he'd attack us at random."

"I see…"

"And that was before the actual training. The first week we were back, Al could barely walk. He was way too sore."

Strider didn't say anything to that. They continued walking in silence for a moment before Ed spoke again.

"But we got used to it after a while," he said. "Al and I spar whenever we get the chance now."

They continued down the road for several hours before the sun began to set. By this point in time, Ed was beginning to get hungry, and he was glad when it was time to stop for the night. They went off the road a little ways and ended up in a small glade.

"Do you have your knife?" Strider asked as Ed set his pack on the ground.

Ed nodded and pulled the small knife he'd been given out of the sheath on his belt. "Why do you ask?" he asked.

"You'll need it. We'll have to be careful with the food we have. Can you hunt?"

"I can make traps," Ed replied. "But that's about it."

Strider took a moment to look around at their surroundings before walking past Ed. "That will be enough for tonight. Stay close."

Ed nodded and began his work a few yards away. He set up the traps with practiced ease, having done it dozens of times before on Yock Island, and climbed a tree to watch and wait.

About an hour passed before he finally caught something, and he dropped down to the ground with the intent to kill the rabbit and return to camp. He placed a hand on the animal's stomach and looked at it with regret, something he and Al had done on the island as well. "I'm sorry," he said before bringing the knife down into the rabbit's neck. Once it was dead, he stood and turned to make his way to the camp. He saw Strider through the trees, and waved to get his attention as he walked towards him.

"Hey, I caught somethi–"

,.,.,..,.,.,.,,.

When Aragorn heard the shouts, followed by the startled scream, he turned and ran through the trees toward it. He stopped short when he could see Edward, and all thoughts of concern vanished from his mind. He struggled not to laugh as he came face-to-face with the alchemist, hanging from the limbs of a tall tree, his leg stuck in what was clearly one of the boy's traps.

"You certainly did catch something," he remarked. He was rewarded with a deep scowl and a half-hearted attempt at a punch.

"Very funny," Edward said as he pulled himself up and reached for the rope around his ankle. With a few deft movements, Edward's leg was free, and he dropped gracelessly to the ground. "Look over there," he said, pointing with one hand as he rubbed his head with the other.

Sure enough, Edward had managed to catch something other than his own foot. Aragorn picked it up as Edward pushed himself to his feet, and they walked together to the camp.

As they waited for the meat to cook, Edward began wrapping a length of cloth around his leg. He redid it so many times that Aragorn began to wonder if he was having troubles.

"Do you need help with that?" he asked after another moment.

Edward looked up briefly and shook his head. "Nah. I'm just making sure it won't get stuck in the joints. I'd rather not have that happen again."

"What happened last time?" Aragorn asked.

"Nothing too bad, it's just harder to move if something's stuck in there," Edward replied.

Aragorn observed the alchemist for a while. He'd been studying Edward's movements since the beginning, and though he now wrote with his left hand instead of his right, there had barely been any noticeable change in his movements. His new arm and leg were in sync with his body to the point that it was nearly impossible to tell the difference.

"Does it hurt?" he asked once Edward had moved onto his arm.

"Not anymore," Edward replied. "Just when I get it replaced."

"And how often does that happen?"

"Just whenever I need a height adjustment, or if I break it," Edward answered. "That's actually why Al and I were in Resembool."

Aragorn raised an eyebrow at this statement. Alphonse's version of this story was rather different.

They passed the evening in a comfortable silence until Aragorn heard a faint howl in the distance. He looked over at Edward, who didn't seem to have heard it, and frowned. He had realized it would be dangerous from here onward, but he hadn't thought it would be so soon. Though, he reasoned, the wind was coming from the east, and it was a fairly quiet evening. They would likely be safe until the morning.

"You should sleep now," he said. "From here on we have to be careful. The mountains can be dangerous. We will take turns keeping watch at night until we reach the other side."

A look of apprehension flashed through Edward's eyes, but he nodded and lay down, using his coat as a makeshift pillow. It wasn't long before the alchemist was asleep.

,.,.,.,.,..,.,.,

It was around three in the morning when Ed was woken up for his final shift. He leaned against a tree as Strider slept nearby, pulling his watch out and checking the time before sticking it back in his pocket. Two hours to go…

Once he was sure Strider was asleep, Ed stretched his legs out in front of him. His right leg was sore from walking so far, but Ed had a feeling it had more to do with his uneven footing. He considered bringing it up in the morning, but he wasn't sure how Strider would react. After all, he'd had plenty of chances to bring it up, and considering how long it would be before they'd head back, Ed had the feeling that it wouldn't be such a good idea. He'd just have to put up with it for now.

The hours passed quietly, and when it was time to switch again, Ed woke Strider up and went to sleep. When he was shaken awake an hour later, he stretched and pulled his coat on; it was still pretty cold out.

They ate in silence before packing up and heading back to the road. Ed didn't speak much this time, his mind on his shorter leg and the debate he'd held earlier with himself. Sometime as he thought about that, he stepped wrong with his real foot, sending a jolt of pain up his leg. He ignored it, hoping it would go away soon enough, and after a few minutes, it did.

After a while longer, he came to a realization. He knew why he was being dragged along, but he didn't know what they were doing in the first place. Ed frowned. If he had to trek through the countryside for four or five months, he should at least know what he was doing.

"So… what exactly are we doing again?" he asked after a while.

"Searching."

Ed frowned. That didn't really tell him much. "For what?"

Strider was quiet for a minute. Ed watched the older man expectantly as they continued to walk down the road. Finally, he gave Ed an answer. "If the search is successful, you'll find out then."

And here Ed had thought that he'd get a real answer for once. He scowled as they continued to walk, muttering to himself, "You don't really know, do you?"

All of a sudden, Ed found himself hitting something solid and falling back to the ground. Great, he'd said it too loud and now he'd probably be lectured. Again. Why did it seem like he could never do anything right here?

To his surprise, however, Strider just held out a hand and pulled Ed to his feet before turning back to the path. "Come. We have a long way to go before nightfall."

Ed scowled. Okay, so maybe he wasn't supposed to know, but why did he have to be dragged along if he didn't even know what they were doing?

About an hour or so passed before Ed tried again. This time, however, he went with a different strategy. After all, there wasn't a point to dragging him along if he wouldn't be able to help, and so he pointed this out to Strider.

"We have a long journey ahead of us," Strider finally replied.

"So?" Ed asked.

"By the time we get close, you should know enough to be of some use."

Well, damn. He made a pretty good argument. Ed thought about it for another minute, trying to come up with something else that would get him out of this, but Strider beat him to it.

"If you're complaining this much, then you need more help than I thought," he said as Ed opened his mouth to speak. "Maybe I should have left you in Rivendell."

Ed was stunned. Was he really that pathetic in Strider's eyes? No, he'd seen what Ed had gone through to get his automail attached. Ed could get through that, so why not this? Either way, he wasn't going to let Strider be right. He adjusted the pack on his back and continued walking.

,.,..,,.,.,.,.,.

Edward had stopped complaining after Aragorn had spoken, and he walked silently as the day wore on. He seemed determined now, and he was the one who unwittingly quickened their pace. They continued in silence, neither speaking until it was time to stop for the night.

The next day went smoothly, although Edward began to slow down as the afternoon faded into evening. That night, Aragorn mentally braced himself for the onslaught of irritating complaints that Alphonse had promised would come. However, when they continued the next morning, Edward didn't speak. It seemed he was determined to prove himself, and it was Aragorn who suggested a longer break for lunch. When Edward agreed, he kept his voice neutral, but it was clear that he was relieved.

From what Alphonse said about his brother, though, Edward wouldn't be worn out so quickly. If he could endure the metal attached to his flesh and bone, not to mention the process of getting it attached, a journey like this shouldn't be too much for him. It defied everything Aragorn had observed and heard about the young alchemist. No, whatever was wrong, it was much more than just regular exhaustion. Had that been the reason behind Edward's complaints? His way of saying that something wasn't right?

He decided to watch the boy more closely for the rest of the day. There was a good place to make camp a few miles away. Edward would probably make it that far.

As they continued to walk, Edward began to slow. It was subtle, but within an hour the difference was noticeable, and the alchemist's steps were slightly lopsided. By sunset, Edward was stumbling, but he still stubbornly pressed forward.

They came to the base of a tree-covered hill. There were stones jutting out from the ground, providing decent shelter from the wind. Edward continued to trudge behind him, his eyes beginning to glaze over from exhaustion.

"We'll camp here tonight," Aragorn said, pointing to the top of the hill. Edward nodded and continued to push himself forward until Aragorn laid a hand on his shoulder. "I can take your pack."

Edward shook his head. "I'm fine."

Aragorn didn't respond to this blatant lie. Instead, he let go of Edward's shoulder, pushing against the boy ever so slightly. The result was expected; Edward was so worn out that he toppled over and landed on the ground. With some effort, he pushed himself into a sitting position and looked up sheepishly at Aragorn.

"Give me your pack," Aragorn repeated. Edward pulled it off and handed it to him, and they continued to the top. Once there, Edward sat against one of the trees, his eyes downcast. Aragorn set both packs down nearby and knelt in front of the alchemist.

"You really are a fool."

He was expecting some kind of outburst, an arguing point, anything, but Edward was silent, his eyes focused on the ground beneath him. When he spoke, his voice was little more than a whisper. "I know."

Aragorn looked with surprise at the boy for a moment before turning and starting a fire. The hilltop was sheltered enough to prevent it being seen by any unfriendly eyes. Once he had finished, he turned back to Edward.

"Stay here. I will be back shortly."

Edward gave a vague nod and wrapped his arms around his metal leg; his right leg was likely too stiff to move. Aragorn walked away from the camp on his way to hunt, giving them both some time to think.

,..,.,,.,.,.,.,.

Once he was sure he was alone, Ed slammed his head against the tree he was leaning on and collapsed onto his right side, still staring at the fire ahead of him. Once again, his stubbornness had gotten him into trouble. He realized now that Strider had been exaggerating about his complaints – Al often did that to encourage him – but he'd still pushed himself to the edge… Now he was stuck with a half-dead leg that was three centimeters longer than his other leg, and he couldn't do anything about it.

He continued to stare at the fire, letting his thoughts drift for a while as he waited. This wasn't the first time he'd been hurt because of his stubborn attitude; if he'd just given up on the idea of bringing his mom back…

He truly was a fool.

Ed stretched his leg out, letting out a tired sigh as he felt the muscles complain. He supposed he deserved this. There wasn't much to do but get over it and do things differently next time. Besides, a few stiff muscles weren't nearly as bad as automail surgery, and even that couldn't be compared with what Al had to be feeling…

He continued to stare blankly at the fire until he heard footsteps in the distance. He closed his eyes. He didn't particularly feel like talking about anything at the moment, though he knew it was inevitable.

The footsteps stopped a few feet away from him, and Ed took a deep breath to brace himself. He was surprised, however, when he heard an unfamiliar voice greeting him.

"It is not very wise to behave like that in these parts," were the first words to reach Ed's ears, and he started, pushing himself to a sitting position and looking back. Behind him stood an old bearded man, wearing all grey, and looking to Ed like he was a character in some children's book. Ed wasn't quite sure how to react, so he simply stared. The old man smiled disarmingly at him and took a few steps forward.

"You should not be so alarmed," the man said. "I heard about you in Rivendell. Would you be so kind as to tell me where your companion went?"

Ed blinked and shook his head. "He didn't say," he answered truthfully before asking, "Who are you?"

"Ah, I was wondering when you would ask," said the old man. "I am Gandalf. A friend, luckily for you, because I doubt my name would make any difference to you if I were your enemy."

_Gandalf…_ He'd heard that name in Bilbo's stories, and the man in front of him certainly seemed to fit the part of wizard… Ed frowned. More and more he was seeing the truth in Strider's argument. He really did need to work on some things…

"Will he return soon?" Gandalf asked.

Ed shrugged and muttered, "Probably," and went back to staring at the fire. He realized he wasn't making the best first impression, but right now, he was too exhausted to care. He pulled his legs back up to his chest and rested his head on his knees.

It was quiet for a while, though Ed could hear the sounds Gandalf made as he sat down nearby. To his surprise, Ed found himself wishing Strider would return. This situation was getting more and more awkward with each passing moment.

"It must have been quite an eventful day," Gandalf commented after a while.

Ed felt his face go red, and he hid his face behind his arms, keeping his gaze on the fire. "No, not really," he muttered. Even though it hadn't been said, Ed could tell that Gandalf knew something had happened. It grew quiet again, and Ed found himself wishing he was back home. At least then he'd be around people he knew…

He was brought out of his reverie when he heard footsteps in the distance. In a few minutes, Strider had reached the camp, and Ed watched as he greeted Gandalf as he would an old friend. That confirmed that the old man was a friend of his, but Ed was still mad at himself for not paying attention earlier. He continued to watch the fire, which now was becoming very interesting, as the two spoke briefly in another language.

He was actually fairly disappointed when Strider crouched in front of him, blocking his view of the fire. He looked up, keeping his face emotionless, ready to listen to whatever lecture he'd get this time.

"Are you feeling better now?" Strider asked.

"No," Ed muttered. His leg still hurt like hell.

"Will you let me see it?"

Ed hesitated for a moment before nodding and straightening his legs. Even though they weren't perfectly straight, the difference in length was noticeable. Ed braced himself and waited for Strider to notice.

"Edward," Strider said after a while.

"What?" Ed asked, trying to sound casual. He considered acting like he hadn't known his legs were uneven, but he gave up with that idea immediately.

"Your right leg is longer than your left."

"Yeah."

It was quiet in the camp for a moment before Gandalf stepped in. "Your shoes are made to make you taller, correct?"

Ed scowled, and he was in the process of coming up with a good comeback when the idea hit him. "I just need to fix the left one…"

"Can you use alchemy for that?" Strider asked.

Ed nodded. Of course, he'd have to make his right shoe thinner, which would decrease his height… but when Ed tried to move his leg, he decided it was worth it to get rid of this pain.

To his relief, the rest of the evening passed without any more mentions of his leg, and Ed let himself relax for the rest of the evening. He was also the first to drop off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Yes, yes, I suck at updating, my excuse is that I'm currently studying abroad in Germany and it's hard to think about writing…

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"What is it you wished to talk about?" Aragorn asked as soon as he was sure Edward was asleep. He spoke in Sindarin, though, just in case.

"I was curious to see how your search was going," Gandalf replied, following Aragorn's example. "Though I can see you're occupied with something just as challenging," he joked, gesturing toward the sleeping alchemist.

"I spent about an hour speaking with his brother," Aragorn said. "He gave me more warnings about Edward than I care to count, but even that is not enough to deal with him at times. It is a wonder he hasn't been expelled from the military of his country."

"If he is as talented as you say, then I would say it is a wonder they're allowing him to wander," Gandalf said.

"I have often wondered about that myself," Aragorn remarked. "But he doesn't speak about it. I don't blame him, either; not with his country the way it is."

Edward shifted in his sleep, rolling onto his side and inadvertently revealing his metal arm. They watched the boy for a moment before Gandalf stood.

"I should continue on my way. If things go well, I will see you soon."

Aragorn nodded, and once they had said their farewells, he shifted his gaze to the fire. The day after tomorrow they would arrive at the High Pass, and from there on, they would have to be much more careful. He would have to speak seriously with Edward tomorrow.

,..,.,,.,.,.,,.,.,,

It was late in the morning when Ed woke up. He sat up with an effort; his leg was still pretty sore. It looked like they'd be going slowly today. He stayed where he was, not wanting to move just yet. He had a feeling today would be a long day.

"We'll have to stay here for a while," Strider said, startling Ed out of his reverie. "I doubt you'll make it far in that condition."

Ed looked down at his hands. Next would be a lecture, he just knew it…

"You knew about your leg beforehand, didn't you?" Strider asked.

Ed nodded. "Winry checked just before I left. There wasn't any time to do anything about it."

"And yet you still didn't say anything about it."

"I forgot," Ed admitted, keeping his eyes down. Man, he'd really screwed up this time…

"It's careless mistakes like this that will get you killed."

Ed cringed. He didn't know what to say to that one, and it was true. He always brought these things on himself, and even on other people…

"You might as well just give up on me," he said, gripping his right arm as he spoke. "I think I've made it pretty obvious that I can't learn from my mistakes."

It was quiet in the camp for a moment before Ed stood and walked away. He went around to the other side of the nearby boulders and sat against one, pulling his knees to his chest and staring out at the mountains to the east. They were pretty close now; he had the feeling they'd be there a few hours after they started up again.

It was a while before he noticed Strider standing nearby. Ed looked up at him for a moment before he turned back to staring at the mountains.

"What is it?"

Strider took a few steps forward and sat down a few feet away from Ed. Ed let out a resigned sigh. This was definitely going to be a long day…

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Ed blinked. "Doing what?"

"You could have told me this was too much for you. There was no need for you to punish yourself like this."

Now Ed was confused. "I wasn't punishing myself."

"Then why did you push yourself to exhaustion?"

Ed sighed and rested his chin on his arms. "I thought I could handle it."

"And yet you couldn't," Strider said. "It seems clear to me that you don't know your own limits."

"There's a lot I don't know," Ed replied. "But I guess that's why I'm here in the first place, right?"

"It is," Strider said before standing. "Come. There are a few things you must know before we leave tonight."

"Tonight?" Ed asked, standing and following Strider back to the camp.

"We'll travel by night from now on. Orcs rarely come out during the day. It will be safer to rest then."

"Right…"

It was at that moment that Ed felt a strong sense of unease. He ignored it, but it refused to go away. He wasn't all that sure he wanted to cross the mountains after all…

,.,..,,..,,,.

It was late that afternoon when Aragorn woke Edward for their journey. The alchemist sat up without a word, rubbing sleep from his eyes and reaching for his shoes. Aragorn watched as Edward placed them side-by-side, and after bringing his hands together, he touched them, causing a bright light to emit from beneath his hands. A moment later, Edward picked them up, looked carefully at both of them, and put them on, all without a word.

"Let me see," Aragorn said, walking over to where Edward sat. Edward nodded and straightened his legs. To Aragorn's relief, both legs appeared to be the same length now. His knees were uneven, but as long as his footing was even, Edward would likely be fine.

They left an hour later, walking quietly towards the mountains as the sun began to set. Edward was doing much better this time, and though he was still slower than before, he managed to keep up a steady pace.

It was not quite midnight when they were in the midst of the mountains. The pass was rocky and treacherous at parts, but Edward did well, showing an agility that helped put Aragorn's mind at ease. If Edward was fast, he would fare better if something happened.

They stopped briefly to eat sometime later before continuing. By the time the sky began to lighten, they had covered almost half the distance of the pass, and they continued until the sun had risen.

They stopped in a small clearing, sheltered on two sides by sheer cliffs that were half as high as the nearby peaks, and on the third by several trees. Edward immediately collapsed under the shade of the trees, staring at the sky with a tired look in his eyes.

"You're not going to sleep already, are you?" Aragorn teased.

Edward scowled. "No."

"Good. There is something else to do today."

Edward looked curiously over at him. "Like what?"

"Get your knife."

Still looking curiously at Aragorn, Edward sat up and retrieved his small knife. "Okay, so… now what?"

"You spar with your brother whenever you get the chance, correct?"

Aragorn could pinpoint the exact moment when it dawned on Edward. "Yeah… but do I really have to use this?" he asked, pointing to the knife.

"If someone were to come at you with a sword, how would you defend yourself?" Aragorn asked.

Edward simply pointed at his right arm. "This works pretty well."

"It would not be enough."

"Enough for what? Aren't we just talking about me defending myself?"

"There is more to defense than simply blocking attacks," Aragorn said. "Some will attack relentlessly until either one of you falls."

There was a flash of terror in Edward's eyes before he nodded. Aragorn recognized the look on his face. Though his young age was a definite factor, Edward was incapable of seeing the reason behind taking a life.

"There's no need to be so concerned," Aragorn said kindly. "You may never have to use this knowledge at all."

This seemed to give Edward some semblance of relief, and he relaxed some. However, he still seemed ill at ease, and Aragorn soon found out why. "I still don't know anything about using a weapon, though…"

"You will learn," Aragorn said. "Now, if I were to attack you–"

"But you're not attacking me," Edward interrupted. "People think differently when they're fighting than when they're just standing around and talking about it."

"You should not be interrupting your teacher like that," Aragorn chastised, though he was pleased to see that Edward was aware of the difference between words and action itself.

"Sorry…" Edward muttered.

"You make a good point, however," Aragorn continued, pulling a knife from its sheath. "When an enemy attacks, you may not be warned at all." And with that, he ran at the alchemist, ready to strike with the flat of his blade.

To his surprise, however, Edward proved to be faster. He jumped to the side and kicked out at Aragorn, losing his balance in the process. He fell back and sat staring at Aragorn, surprise still evident on his face.

"That was good," Aragorn said as he helped Edward to his feet. "Next time, however, try to stay on your feet."

Edward nodded. "Got it."

"All right, let's start again."

Edward nodded again, and they resumed their former positions. Edward stood with his knife in his right hand, his stance low and even. Aragorn took note of this, as well as the way he held his weapon, before attacking.

He had expected Edward to be slowed by the weight of his arm, but he moved surprisingly quickly despite that. Aragorn moved out of the way just in time, realizing rather quickly that he had underestimated the alchemist. However, after a few more attacks on Edward's part, Aragorn disarmed him a second time.

"You're not watching me. You must always keep your eyes on your enemy," he said as he helped Edward to his feet.

"I thought I was," Edward replied.

"Not well enough. And why exactly are you jumping all over the place?" Aragorn asked.

"It's just the style I'm used to," Edward replied. "My teacher used it all the time, and she could beat us both in less than a minute."

"You fought with your teacher?" Aragorn asked.

"It was part of our training," Edward explained.

"I see. Let's start again."

,..,.,..,,…,.,

By the time they stopped, Ed was exhausted, and as soon as they finished, he collapsed beneath the trees, staring up at the sky as he caught his breath. Strider was looking through his bags on the other side of camp, and he didn't seem to care that Ed was lazing around at the moment.

"You should eat before you go to sleep," Strider said after a while. "I'll take the first watch."

"Right," Ed muttered. It was about five minutes later when he finally got up, and half an hour later, he flopped back down on the ground, and a minute later, he was asleep.

He woke up a few hours later for his watch, and he sat quietly against a tree and stretched out his legs. He'd managed to get quite a few bruises this morning…

His shift passed quietly in the beginning, but about halfway through, the wind began to pick up. Ed sighed and pulled his coat on. The day was warm enough, but the wind wasn't helping at all.

He was staring at a spot on the cliff opposite him when he heard something unusual. It sounded like the wind, but at the same time, Ed wasn't so sure…

He ignored it for the moment, figuring it was probably his imagination, but a minute later, Ed heard it again. It sounded incredibly familiar, like Winry's dog howling at something in the distance. Then he remembered the warning that Strider had given him about Wargs. "That had better by my imagination," he muttered to himself as he stood up.

He heard it a third time, and now he was worried. He walked a few feet away from camp and looked around, but he wasn't expecting to see anything. After all, it was still very faint, and Wargs could probably hide themselves from a thirteen-year-old kid…

That last thought made the decision for him. There was definitely something out there. He turned and went back to camp for the moment, debating with himself about what to do. Finally, he went and woke up Strider.

"Is it my turn?" Strider asked.

"Not quite. I think there's something out there," Ed answered before telling him what he'd heard.

Strider pricked up his ears for a few minutes before lying back down. "It's just the wind. Don't worry about it."

Ed frowned. So it had been his imagination. He sighed as he walked back to his spot and sat down. This was going to be a long day…

,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

As his second turn on watch began, Ed came to a very obvious, and yet very important, realization. He hated wild animals.

As he waited for Strider to finish bandaging his shoulder, Ed found himself glaring in the direction of that damn hedgehog. The little bugger was still there, too, staring at him in a manner that seemed to say, "I may have been partially crushed, but it was so worth it."

"I've never seen someone fall on a hedgehog before," Strider remarked.

Ed rolled his eyes. "Glad to have been the first," he muttered under his breath.

Strider finished and patted Ed on his uninjured shoulder as he stood up. "And let's hope it's the last," he said as he walked back across camp and went back to bed. Ed sighed as he leaned back against the tree. This wasn't working out very well at all…

The next time he woke up, the sun was about to set, and Strider was packing up his things. Ed did the same after a moment, and they went on their way.

The sun set much more quickly than Ed had thought it would, and as the evening sky grew darker, Ed found himself wishing he had a torch. Last night hadn't been so bad, but after what had happened during the day, Ed found himself feeling less and less at ease. This place was too quiet for his tastes. Much too quiet.

It didn't take him long to figure out why it seemed much more quiet than yesterday. Strider hadn't said anything since they'd started. In fact, he seemed to be carefully studying their surroundings, as if he was tracking something, or…

"Is something wrong?" Ed whispered, realizing there was probably a reason for the silence.

"Look at the trees," Strider replied, his voice low as well.

Ed looked. They looked fairly normal, but when he took a closer look, he could see that someone, or something, had torn up the trunks. In fact, when he looked at the ground, he saw the same thing. It was as if someone had gone a little crazy with a hatchet. Of course, there probably weren't many people out here who would do this kind of thing, but then he remembered one of his lessons…

"Orcs?" he asked quietly.

"There are several of them, and they passed through here not so long ago," Strider said. "Have your knife ready."

Ed nodded and pulled his knife out of its sheath. "Will they find us if they're already ahead?"

"We're upwind of them. They'll likely catch our scent and come back here."

Ed let out a quiet groan and began looking at his surroundings. It wasn't ideal for a fight, but it wasn't horrible, either. Besides, he was sm– agile enough to get out of range if need be…

He was dragged out of his current train of thought when Strider walked over to a group of bushes and gestured for Ed to follow. Ed figured this one out pretty quickly. They were hiding.

"Is this okay?" he whispered, forgetting his pride for once and just thinking about how much he'd rather be back in Resembool.

"It's better than staying out in the open," Strider replied. "But be ready to fight nonetheless."

Ed looked mournfully down at the small knife in his hand and wished his brother was here. Al was better at fighting than he was…

He nearly dropped the knife when he heard footsteps, followed by muffled voices. He peered through the bushes, gripping the handle of the knife so hard he almost lost feeling in his fingers, as a group of orcs rounded a corner. They were as ugly as he remembered them being.

They were speaking in some harsh language, and Ed looked up at Strider. To his surprise, Strider wasn't looking at the group in front of them, but up above them, at the tops of the cliffs across from them. Ed risked a glance up there as well, shifting the knife in his hand as he did so.

To his dismay, Strider was looking at an orc up there, and said orc began shouting at his comrades as soon as Ed had looked up. Ed swore under his breath as the orcs on the ground turned to the bushes, and he followed Strider's lead and stood, his hand gripping the knife handle in determination.

"Well, well, two Men in the mountains," one of them, the biggest and ugliest of the group said. Ed winced at how awful it sounded. "It looks like we'll have some fun tonight, especially with the little one," he finished. The rest laughed.

Any trace of fear Ed had was gone in an instant. Everything was driven from his mind but the sheer audacity of this… even thinking of a good way to describe his feelings of rage was too much. All he could think of was destroying the ones who had thought to mock him. He clapped his hands and placed them on the ground.

Immediately, the ground beneath the orcs lit up, and rose so suddenly that the entire group of orcs was thrown over twenty meters into the air. When they landed, the few who weren't severely injured by the fall were dismayed to find Strider coming at them. The leader, who had managed to get to his feet and tried to run off, was immediately knocked over by a metal foot to the head, and he crumpled to the ground.

Once Ed was sure the orc was down for good, he turned to help Strider, but he soon found that he didn't need to do anything. Strider was fine, but he was currently giving Ed a strange look. Ed scowled and pointed at the one who had brought Ed's wrath upon him.

"He called me small."

.,.,.,,.,.,.,..,

To say that Aragorn was surprised wasn't quite an understatement, but it certainly was true. His first thought was the final warning Alphonse had given him, but up until now, he hadn't realized just how serious the younger of the Elrics had been.

However, there were more pressing matters at hand at the moment, and Aragorn was thinking about the best course of action to take as he surveyed Edward's handiwork.

"You realize that your actions will have alerted any others to our presence here, don't you?" he asked as Edward retrieved his pack from behind the bushes.

Edward spared a glance back at Aragorn before approaching one of the few survivors, who was attempting to grasp a nearby sword. Edward placed his foot on the sword, looked down at the orc, and asked, "Are there any more of you around here?"

The orc sneered at Ed before replying, "I'm not telling the likes of you."

"Really? Why not?" Edward asked, clenching his right hand into a fist and smiling a little too cheerfully.

Understandably, that simple gesture struck fear into the orc's heart, and they got a very hurried reply. "No there aren't!"

"Are you sure about that?" Edward asked, still looking much too cheerful.

"Yes! It was just us!"

And with that, Edward looked back at Aragorn, a look in his eyes that seemed to say, "That good enough for you?"

"Very well. We were lucky this time," Aragorn said finally. "However, you're not always going to be lucky enough to have your enemy insult your height," he continued.

Edward gave Aragorn a glare that would have made most men quiver in fear before turning and continuing down the road. "It worked out though, didn't it?"

"Yes," Aragorn agreed, catching up to him without any effort. "And you did very well. I just hope you'll be capable of fighting without resorting to alchemy so quickly."

Edward stopped and looked back at Aragorn curiously. "Why's that?"

"There will be times when you will have to do without," Aragorn explained. "Alchemy is your greatest weapon. You shouldn't reveal it unless you have to, otherwise you may be mistaken for a wizard."

Edward was quiet for a while before turning and continuing to walk. "I understand. I'll be more careful next time."

They continued on their way more quickly than before, neither wishing to stay in the mountains longer than was necessary. Because of this, it was well past dawn before they finally stopped, having made their way south along the eastern side of the mountains for a while. When they did stop, Edward looked at their surroundings and asked a question that Aragorn had been expecting.

"I thought we were heading east," he said. "Why are we going south?"

"To meet the sons of Elrond," Aragorn replied. "There are a few things I wish to discuss with them."

"Oh," Edward said. "Where are they?"

"They are returning from Lothlorien by way of the High Pass," Aragorn explained.

They ate quietly before Aragorn prepared himself for the first watch. However, after several minutes, it became clear that Edward had no intentions of sleeping just yet. Instead, he was staring moodily at Aragorn.

"Is there something wrong?" Aragorn asked.

"You don't think I can handle keeping watch as long as you."

"No. You're still a child."

Edward snorted. "That's the first time I've heard _that_ in a while."

"That doesn't change the fact that you still are a child," Aragorn said calmly. "You may have been forced to become an adult in your country, but that doesn't make you one. However, if you think you're able to keep watch for longer, then go ahead and take the first shift. Wake me up in two hours."

Edward was momentarily taken aback, but he recovered wordlessly and sat against a tree. Aragorn lay down nearby, though he didn't go to sleep just yet. The minutes passed quietly in their little camp, and around half an hour later, Aragorn heard Edward stand and walk toward him. He sat up and gave the alchemist a curious look.

"You win," Edward muttered quietly before sitting down nearby.

Aragorn was not surprised in the least. He was just glad Edward had admitted he was wrong _before_ he'd fallen asleep while on watch.

,.,.,.,.,..,,,.,

Yep, Ed going into a rage because of a comment on his height. Shocking, I know. Enjoy.


End file.
